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The blaze was
reported shortly after 2 a.m. in the town of Riddle, Oregon,
about 200 miles (322 km) south of Portland.
The cause of the fire was under investigation but did not
immediately appear to be suspicious in nature, according to a
spokesman for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Dwes Hutson.
The four youngsters who died at the scene were identified as
Gwendolyn Howell, 4, Haley Maher, 7, Isaiah Young, 10, and
Nicholas Lowe, 13.
The three survivors -- Tabitha Annette Howell, 38, James Keith
Howell, 39, and Andrew Hall-Young, 13 -- were all taken to
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland for treatment of
serious injuries, the sheriff's office said.
Tabitha Howell is the wife of James Howell and mother of all the
children involved, except for Nicholas Lowe, who was a foster
child living with the family, Hutson said.
Grief counselors were called in to the schools where some of the
children were enrolled, the Portland Oregonian newspaper
reported. The town of Riddle, in an area known for commercial
timber production and nickel mining, is described as a
close-knit community with a population of fewer than 1,200
residents.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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