Garrett Mitchell Obituary News: 38-year-old Hoquiam man Reported as Second Victim of RV Park Deadly Fire
Early on Tuesday morning, a fire in the Hoquiam River RV Park destroyed a resident of Hoquiam, resulting in his death.
According to county coroner George Kelley, Garrett Edward Mitchell, 38, was killed in the fire; his next of kin has been contacted.
Detective Sgt. Jerad Spaur of the Hoquiam Police Department, who looked into the fire, stated that the first calls came in shortly after six in the morning.
“My neighbor noticed it. In an interview, Spaur stated, “He called it in.” He was awakened by his dogs.
After patrol officers arrived, the Hoquiam Fire Department did not take long to arrive, according to Spaur. The patrol officers were informed by neighbors that the trailer was occupied, but Spaur said the fire was too strong for them to come near.
Spaur stated, “They could see someone was in there, but he wasn’t responding.”
Fire Chief Matt Miller stated that as nearby neighbors tried to put out the fire on their own, firefighters responding to the call quickly brought it under control.
“The attack happened quite quickly. The fire damage was significantly reduced by the neighbors hurling buckets of water through the window, according to Miller. “We do appreciate how much the effort slowed the growth, but we do recommend the residents maintain their own safety.”
According to Spaur, the fire seems unfortunate but not sinister.
“Foul play was not evident,” stated Spaur. “It seems to be a fatal mishap.”
As he attempted to piece together what happened before and during the fire, Spaur commended the Hoquiam Fire Department’s professionalism.
“There are some pretty good, seasoned guys at Hoquiam Fire. Working with them is always beneficial,” stated Spaur. Any fatalities that occur without a witness are suspicious. Our task is to rule out any suspicious behavior or malicious intent. Nothing about it seemed strange.
According to Miller, the deadly fire is the second to happen in the same RV park in roughly a year and the first for Hoquiam in 2024. The Daily World earlier reported that the previous fire happened in January of 2023 and resulted in the death of an elderly citizen.
Miller remarked, “We had one three spaces away about a year ago.” “We don’t see these kinds of fires very often.” It is not very common.
According to Miller, mishandled space heaters and extension cords can result in flames, and it’s usually a good idea to discover fires early.
Miller said, “Please have working smoke detectors even with motor homes and RVs.”
