Electrical fault cause of fatal Weippe fire

Calling it “one of the most difficult cases I’ve dealt with in my 35-year career,” Idaho State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl said the cause of the house fire in Weippe on Friday in which 3-year-old twin boys perished was caused by an electrical fault in a light fixture.

John P. Carr and Shawn D. Carr, both 3 years old, died early Friday morning in a house fire at 107 W. Eighth Ave. in Weippe. Their parents, Chance D. Carr and Hannah R. Hueth, both 23, escaped the flames, which were reported about 1 a.m. Friday.

The Weippe Rural Fire District Fire Department responded immediately but the house was fully engulfed in flames and firefighters were not able to rescue the boys. Their bodies were not recovered until about 10:30 a.m. Friday and the investigation into the cause began shortly afterward.

According to Sandahl’s report, issued Monday afternoon, investigators were called to the scene from Coeur d’Alene about 2 a.m. Friday. The first priority was locating the boys, who were last known sleeping in the living room. The search was hindered by the collapsed roof and weakened floors damaged from the fire.

Sandahl said after about five hours of searching, the bodies of the twins were found in the kitchen area.

“The tragic loss of these two boys impacted every State Fire Marshal investigator and first responder there and no doubt the entire community of Weippe,” Sandahl said. “Our hearts go out to the family of John and Shawn.”

According to the boys’ mother, the twins were sleeping in the living room when she went to bed around midnight, Sandahl reported.

“Hannah woke up to smoke and alerted the father, Chance Carr, who immediately attempted to rescue the boys, only to be driven back by heavy smoke and heat. Chance returned to assist Hannah out the window to safety and tried to enter the living room again with no success. Hannah ran around to the front of the home to find entry but could not, because of intense flames and smoke. Hannah stopped a passing motorist to call 911.”

Firefighters from the Weippe, Pierce and Orofino fire departments were called on scene. Sandahl said smoke alarms were reported to be inside the home but no alarms were heard or located during the investigation.

Kathy Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.