FIRE CHIEF: CAUSE OF FATAL BLAZE MAY NEVER BE KNOWN
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 -- 12:19 PM
The cause of a fire that took two young lives may never be known.Neillsville Fire Chief Matt Meyer and other officials spent Monday looking for clues at the scene of the rural Willard home where fire broke out late Sunday night, killing two young children, who were trapped in an upstairs bedroom.
"We have completely ruled out arson. I don't know if we'll ever come up with a cause," Meyer said Tuesday morning.
Space heaters or matches are possible causes, but there is not enough evidence to say with any certainty, Meyer says.
The fire originated in the area near the bedroom where 3-year-old Quinta Frenn and 1-year-old Lattie Frenn were trapped.
The grandparents, two aunts, neighbors, sheriff's deputies and firefighters all tried to rescue the girls from the burning bedroom, but no one could reach them.
One firefigher, Terry Marty, suffered smoke inhalation while battling the fire. He's doing better, according to Meyer.
"I talked to him when I got back to town. He was released at around 5:30 (Monday) morning," Meyer said.
Meyer has been on the fire department for 25 years. This is the first fatal house fire he's had to fight; he concedes it's been a very hard couple days for him and his crew.
Meanwhile, the father of the girls says his daughters were beautiful, energetic children.
Robert Youmans and his wife were at the hospital with their newborn daughter when they found out the house was on fire Sunday night.
Youmans says his main goal right now is taking care of his four other young children.
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