Spokane7
49°
January 3, 2010 in City
Fatal Curlew fire leaves only questions
chrisa@spokesman.com Snow-covered toys, candy and a lighted candle sit on steps leading to the Old Curlew School Apartments in Curlew, Wash., on Tuesday. A fire destroyed the building and killed three people just before Christmas.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
CURLEW, Wash. – The rubble still smoldered more than week after a devastating fire destroyed an apartment building here, killing a grandmother and two toddlers and leaving the children’s mother fighting for her life in a Seattle hospital.
On Tuesday crews began demolishing what’s left of the two-story brick building known as the Old Curlew School in the remote town 15 miles south of the Canadian border.
While the investigation is over, many questions surrounding the fatal blaze remain.
The cause of the fire has been determined as accidental, officials said. The building’s owners, Joe Abraham and his wife, Ferry County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Baker, said investigators pinpointed the cause of the blaze to stovetop burners that had been left on.
“It has been very traumatic for everybody in our community,” Baker said Saturday. “We have tenants who literally had to escape with the clothes, the pajamas, on their back and stand in the rain in the parking lot and watch their homes burn.”
One resident burned out by the fire, who declined to give his name, stood last week in front of the charred remains of his home holding a plastic Wal-Mart sack full of his only possessions.
“There’s nothing left,” he said. “This is all I have.”
On the ground nearby lay a shrine of teddy bears, candy and candles left for the two children, Gail and Helen Ryken, who are presumed to have died in the blaze.
Kelly Brown, the children’s grandmother, is also believed to have died in the fire. Amanda Brown Ryken, mother of the two children, has been in a medically induced coma at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle since the fire, with burns to 60 percent of her body, family members said. The four lived in the apartment together.
According to Ferry County Sheriff Pete Warner, the fire burned so hot and caused “such devastation,” an exact cause was difficult to determine.
Because of limited resources and the remote location, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was called in to assist local fire crews, Warner said.
Baker said investigators told her and her husband the fire originated in Brown’s apartment, where they found a broiler pan and melted Teflon pan on a stovetop. The oven was melted shut.
A neighbor heard smoke alarms, opened the door to Brown’s unit and saw “kitchen cabinets fully engulfed” in flames, Baker said. It was too late to save the two children and their grandmother, sleeping in a bedroom.
For the 30 or more residents who escaped and were left homeless by the fire, most have found housing, Baker said. But some are still looking, a process made difficult by the high level of poverty in Ferry County.
“Housing, especially rental housing, is hard to come by,” Baker said.
Baker said she and her husband are one of only three property owners who provide state-funded, subsidized housing for the poor in Ferry County, where unemployment is well above the state average, at almost 14 percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008 more than 20 percent of Ferry County’s residents lived below the federal poverty level.
Despite hard economic times, the outpouring of support for the victims of the fire has been tremendous, residents said.
Joyce Longfellow, longtime resident and owner of the Curlew Store, said donations for fire victims have been coming in from around the state, and even Canada. At the town’s Civic Hall, clothing items donated by the community are stacked so high, they had to ask people to stop bringing items in. What they need now are furniture and other household goods, she said.
“A lot of these people are on foot, and they don’t have families they can stay with,” Longfellow said. “They’ve lost everything.”
Abraham and Baker paid for motel accommodations for burned-out residents for seven days, and the American Red Cross provided additional assistance.
While most of the recovery has been positive, there has also been anger from disgruntled former and current residents, who have speculated about the condition of the building and possible code violations they believe contributed to the blaze.
Rumors of a faulty heating system and inadequate fire suppression alarms have been spread in public forums.
Baker said the building was inspected in November by the state housing authority, and the apartments were found to have adequate heating. It was heated with a wood-fired boiler, which was manned by one of the tenants. The building passed a full state inspection two years ago, she said.
The building had other problems and was not unfamiliar to law enforcement, Curlew residents said. Last year, there was a stabbing, and there have been shootings and other drug-related crimes in the past.
Longfellow said her husband worked as an EMT and was told to wait for police before entering the building on medical calls.
John Ryken, father of the two children presumed dead, blames the building’s owners for the fire, stating that the apartment “was a walking death trap,”
“It should have been condemned,” said Ryken, who said he once performed maintenance at the apartment complex.
Ryken, who was separated from the children’s mother, said he’s considering filing a wrongful death suit against Abraham and Baker.
According to officials, Child Protective Services had been in the Brown apartment the night before the fire after complaints of squalid living conditions.
Ryken said he was attempting to have the children, ages 2 and 3, removed from the apartment and was aware of the complaints.
“It was a disaster. It was filthy,” Ryken said. “That’s the guilt that I have to live with; I had an opportunity to save my children. I have to live with this every day.”
Couple acquitted of caging 2 boys 
Ninch on January 03 at 12:05 p.m.
Ryken may be angry, but calling the building a death trap and blaming the owners does not make it so. Also if he truly thought such was so, why did he leave his kids living there? If former and current residents are grumbling about “code” violations why did they not report them to the authorities (building, fire, police)? Also no reason for any focus on the drug trade in this case, unless the cause of the fire was related, e.g. meth lab.
FACT: The building was regularly inspected and inspected more often than private housing because it was subsidized public housing. Everyone made it out okay except the residents of the apartment, of which that apartment was apparently the source of the fire. It looks like someone in that apartment used bad judgment and thus made a fatal error regarding use of oven and/or burners… the suspected source of ignition. It appears that smoke detectors from other parts of the building alerted residents when the victims’ apartment became fully engulfed. Why the victims did not get early warning from their smoke detectors within their own apartment is troubling. Why did they not escape from their bedroom fire egress (operable windows)? Sheriff Warner deemed it necessary to call in “the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives… to assist local fire crews.” I am aware that ATF has assisted in arson events such as suspected domestic terrorism acts. All evidence to date reveals that there is much more to this story.
curious on January 03 at 3:23 p.m.
Ninch…what evidence are you talking about? Are you trying to pass what happened onto the people who lost their lives? Are you saying that this is an act of terrorism? How many buildings these days are heated with a wood boiler system! We rented a house that had this type of outdated system and had to replace it to bring it to code. All that happens is that the water in the pipes are heated but I don’t believe that is enough to heat a two story building (and one that was as old and large as this building was). And, what if all the wood that was used in this boiler was placed near the boiler itself. Couldn’t a spark have popped out and hit a piece of wood to slowly smoulder? If these tenants had to rely on turning their ovens and burners on to get heat or to use an electric space heater is a problem that the landlords should have taken serious and remedied. I guess I just don’t understand how the landlords would have taken a risk like this. A risk that ended in tragedy for two beautiful little girls and their grandmother who lost their lives. These people were low income individuals who probably could not afford high heating bills and probably did have high bills trying to stay warm! To see that building on fire while watching the news was heartbreaking knowing that there were people inside losing their lives. That fire was hot, so there had to have been more numerous things wrong with that building to have burned that way. I’m just hoping that you, Ninch, are not trying to shift blame here. It definitely was not the victims fault or the mother’s who had to jump from a window to survive and go through the pain and suffering she is going through right now.
howie59 on January 04 at 10:29 a.m.
I don’t know the details of the wood boiler in this building, but there are modern, highly-efficient wood-fired boiler systems in use in many areas. In New England, Montana, and other areas, many school buildings and other public buildings are heated safely and efficiently with wood boilers. There are also very efficient residential wood heating systems in use all over the country. These systems are no more likely to cause fires than any other type of heating system — assuming any type of system is properly maintained and operated.
This incident is a tragedy for all concerned, and rather than trying to place blame we should be praying for the residents, their families, and for the buildings owners, and trying to help in any way we can.
curlewman on January 04 at 1:03 p.m.
Hi, I wont name, names in this post.
I will state I have lived in that building before it burned down.
All I know is I have had to heat my place with the stove just to keep warm, I HAVE COMPLAINED about this, I was Ignored and treated as though I needed to deal with it. The funny thing is
I was yelled at by the owner for using the stove for heat, not because of the power bills, or in-case it starts a fire, but because he didn’t want to have the heating element go out, and have to buy a new one. There’s enough evidence, and statements of how the building was right before the fire. Thus having wiring problems, putting more than one apartment on one breaker. Never updating the power Base to handle the power used. The lady of the Apartment that everyone is saying is the cause of the fire. Her apartment lights flickered, the water heater went out, stove went out (which they said they fixed) brand new light bulbs go out after a day or two of use. I have also had this problem with the light bulbs, even the fluorescence five year ones. And the tenant asking many times to have things fixed, and be ignored like we don’t matter.
So yes I and MANY other feel, and stated that the problems could have been avoided if the OWNERS of the building do there part in the up keeping, So don’t joint fingers to the tenets of the apartments as there not the owner, or is it there responsibility to have things fixed, nor dealt with.
You stated why didn’t anyone complain or report the problems?
Well what do you think, I mean think about it, 90 percent of the county knows the owners, and one being a judge, and if you say anything you’ll be evicted. I guess that’s not in anyway intimidating now is it. Sorry for my sarcasm, but I don’t like it when people who feel them self’s of higher stature make comments about people like myself who had no choice but live in a run down death trap (Yes I said Death Trap) of a building. because we couldn’t afford anywhere else. Look at the history of the building, all the Deaths, Problems, I mean I have sat on the porch, and had watched the cops being called many times in a month. More than I ever have in any other apartment I lived in MY WHOLE LIFE. Anyways I know all this because I was a resident to the place in question, seen, heard, and watched all I have stated. If you don’t like what I have stated, I guess that’s too bad. Be us, be the ones who lived there, then have your say so.
Thanks: Curlew / Colville Man
Shaman on January 04 at 3:33 p.m.
I agree with you Curlewman! I live up here in Ferry County and I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about the living conditions at the old Curlew School. Things always seem to get swept under the rug up here whenever someone of power is involved. Seems that passing blame on the poor and defenseless is always the way out. Also, I do believe that there are bits of inaccurate information throughout the above article… Seems really one sided…. On another note: We are putting on a fund raising benefit this coming Saturday (Jan. 9) from 12pm to 6pm at the Curlew Civic Hall in Curlew. There will be live music, a spaghetti feed and a silent auction. All monies raised will go to the victims… Anyone who is interested in donating (Money only please) contact me and I’ll let you know how to do it…
curlewman on January 05 at 12:33 a.m.
To, Shaman
Have you gotten a hold of Sheryl Brown, She might have ideas on what some of the people might need.
Also thank you fro your understanding. It’s hard to find people who know the situation about the Apartments, before the fire.
Maybe you can also contact Sheryl Brown over what you know.
Well if you need a phone number, or email address I can get it for you. as she has posted on KXLY, KREM2, KHQ, and Spokesman Review.
Thanks Once again…
curious on January 05 at 8:34 a.m.
After reading this article over again, I do agree with Shaman that this does appear to be rather one-sided. Has anyone in the media interviewed the tenants that resided in the building that could disclose information as to living and building conditions? Has anyone from the state investigated and talked with these individuals? You would think that they are the ones that have first hand knowledge and answers. These are questions that I have and as being a member of the public would like answers to. I guess that from what I am seeing in this situation is that yes, there is more to this story, but it is from what we are not hearing from the individuals that actually rented from these landlords. And, as I mentioned in my first comment, that fire was a hot fire. You could tell it by watching the flames roar and knowing that the grandmother and her grandchildren could not get out just makes me sick. You can see where this is going, the blame is being passed on to someone who can’t be here to defend themselves. The investigation needs to go into another direction and that is to ask questions as to why these people had to heat their apartments with their stoves. To me this is a big question that needs to be answered. And, just because one of the landlords happens to be a Superior Court Judge does not mean they, the landlords, should not be held accountable for their neglect in keeping up with the issues presented to them from their tenants. Yes, Ninch, there is more to this story, there is a reason why these tenants apparently had to heat their apartments with their stoves.
Shaman on January 05 at 11:37 a.m.
Exactly!
FRED on January 06 at 6:37 p.m.
What bothers me Stott construction moved in equipment because they where told by the owner that the investigation was over and dimoltion of the building is going to start.
Acording to the Omak paper, The owners said that it was ditermend that the stove started the fire and it has been said the children turned on the burner, The problem with all of this is the Feds have not released any report as to the cause of the fire, investigation is still on going (Quote from paper)
Now the Question is why tear down a building so quick!
I have my thoughts! It is hard to investigate when there is nothing there!
Only in Ferry County you would get away with this kind of tragity, Fence the building and WAIT for a real investigation.
curious on January 06 at 9:57 p.m.
I totally agree with you Fred. How do they know that it is a FACT that the children turned on the stove. And to bring in a demolition crew this quickly makes me wonder if the owners are trying to hide something as well. The best thing that could happen is for the federal government to come in and stop the demolition, tape it off and like you said….let the real investigation begin! How in the world can a conclusion about the children be made when the poor grandmother isn’t here to say anything and from what I understand the mother still can’t say anything either due to her still being hospitalized. As it looks right now the landlords are trying to shift the blame to these innocent children and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so. If anyone can shed any light as to what really happened it is the mother who still can not speak. So why the hurry on demolishing the building? The federal government needs to step in and thoroughly sift through everything on that site. It has been stated that these tenants, prior and present, have had to heat their apartments with their stoves due to poor heating provided by the landlords and even when complaints were made to them, nothing was done about it. Innocent lives were lost, several people lost all of their possessions some of which can not be replaced, and lives have been turned upside down. All of these individuals deserve justice. My heart and prayers go out to all of you who have lost loved ones and also to those who have lost their homes.
Shaman on January 07 at 7:57 a.m.
Exactly!
grievinggpa on January 13 at 6:04 p.m.
To everyone whom posted this last week: thank you!! for your comments. I am the father of the young woman who is still in harbor view for her burns, and the grandfather of the two little girls who lost their lives. And the ex-husband of the woman who also lost her life.
I worked for Mr. Abraham for just barely 2 months and witnessed shoddy work and substandard materials being used. I have been both a sub-contractor and a worker in the building trades for years. So I know exactly what was NOT done to make the place safe. I quit because I couldn’t tolerate the garbage being used to build homes.
As to the boiler, what has not been said is that it was a converted OIL burner. not a wood burner to begin with.
As to the demolition of the building: can you think of a better way to cover your ass than to destroy all the evidence before the authorities can prove your culpability? I can’t. Also, when the building was in use as a school, the district had a bus-barn. The shop bays have been converted to auto repair shops. Just this last few days, they are now (are you ready for this?) being converted into apartments. No running water, no central heating (or even baseboard heaters), and wiring that is as old as that in the original school building!
Check out the Spokane news stations web sites about the Curlew fire and read the posts. You will see the slum lords are up to their old tricks. Profit first. Human lives a very distant second.
If there is going to be an investigation, the people doing it will HAVE to be federal level, with no ties to Ferry County.
Again, thanks to all who posted, and bless you all for your comments.
karenfs on November 08 at 11:17 p.m.
wow i just heard about the old school burning down, me and my husband lived there for very short time, only because i told him it was not safe staying in this building and that was in 1999 so we moved within the month it should have been condemned then. so ya after this long im surprised they let people lived in it….that place was creepppyyyyy