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Don Gronning
NEWPORT – One person died in a house fire Monday morning, Jan. 7, on Highway 2, between Diamond Lake and Newport, in unincorporated Pend Oreille County. The person was discussed at length on the Newport Wa. & Surrounding Areas With Any News Facebook page. Sue Owen Mauro told The Miner later Monday that the person who died was Newport resident Jim Morrison.
“I’m devastated this happened,” Kelsie L. Berry Lees said. Lees, a local friend of Morrison’s, broke the news on the Facebook group. “He was an icon for so many and had no idea. He blessed all who knew him and his stories were always appreciated.”
According to Lees and numerous others who commented on the Facebook page, Morrison was well-known in the community for his humble, generous nature and constant hitchhiking. Owen Mauro said that at last year’s Newport Hospital Women’s Fair, one of the guest speakers was a police officer with the Kalispel Tribe who talked in his speech about safety and not to pick up hitchhikers.
“But he said Jim was the exception and everybody in the room pretty much knew who Jim was,” Owen Mauro said.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is involved in the investigation.
“ATF was requested to assist us due to an unidentified fatality,” South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue Chief Shane Stocking said in an email response to questions from The Miner.
According to a news release, SPOFR is working with federal partners in investigating the fire.
“ATF is the assisting federal agency in this case out of availability and expertise, not circumstance or suspicion,” Stocking said in response to a Miner question about whether arson or explosives were suspected.
Stocking said that a death investigation is not beyond Pend Oreille County resources, but ATF could provide more robust assistance.
He said all agencies were waiting to publicly identify the person who died “until all proper channels of identification and next of kin notifications have been made.”
He would not confirm Morrison’s identity, though he says he realizes many in the community suspect they know who the victim is.
“SPOFR recognizes this community knows each other and takes (care) of each other,” he wrote. Investigators recognize that many are familiar with the residence. “Regardless, we take this fire, investigation, and soul seriously, and will professionally handle this investigation.”
According the SPOFR news release, at about 9:45 a.m. South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue was alerted to the fire. SPOFR units and mutual aid responded and found a well involved structure fire with reports of one person possibly trapped. According to the news release, SPOFR’s first two staffed engines arrived on scene six and nine minutes after dispatch and initiated an aggressive interior attack and search. Firefighters stopped and contained the blaze to the area of origin. Unfortunately, as fire suppression activities made progress, the body of a single person was found deceased.
SPOFR chaplains responded to provide support for neighbors and first responders. Mutual Aid partners included West Pend Oreille Fire from Idaho, Pend Oreille Districts 2 and 4, and Spokane County District 4.
Editor's Note: The original post of this story incorrectly stated the resident was located on Coyote Trail, near Highway 2. We regret any confusion this may have caused.
