Officials scrutinizing 'every possibility' for fire

ZILLAH, Wash. — Sadness loomed over the Washington State Patrol on Monday as investigators began combing through the charred rubble of a house fire that claimed the lives of three comrades.

More than 12 hours after the blaze engulfed the home of Gary Miller and Anne Miller-Hewitt, authorities sent in two dogs, one to sniff for accelerants. Then they began to remove the bodies late Monday afternoon.

The ashes were too hot for anyone to enter any sooner.

Remains of one body was recovered just before 5 p.m., said Chief of Detectives Stew Graham of the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. A second body was removed by 8 p.m.

Killed in the fire were Miller, a trooper in Sunnyside; his wife, a dispatch manager for the State Patrol in Wenatchee; and Kristopher Sperry, a rookie who had just graduated from the patrol academy and was living with the couple temporarily.

State Patrol Lt. Jim Keightley, a friend of Gary Miller’s for more than 20 years, stood at the foot of the long, dusty drive that now leads to the scorched remains of the three-story home.

"The magnitude of this loss is just horrific to comprehend," he said, his voice cracking and his eyes moistening. "This is just a loss not only to the State Patrol, but to the community."

Graham wrapped his arm around him in support and patted him on the shoulder.

Monday was the largest loss of life for the State Patrol in the agency’s 89-year history.

Authorities say it’s still not clear what caused the fire that tore through the Millers’ home at 321 Falcon Ridge Road about 1 a.m.

The Yakima County Fire Marshal’s Office is leading the investigation with help from the federal Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Investigators were also called in from the State Patrol’s crime lab in Spokane.

"We’re going to look at every possibility," Keightley said.

He and others were careful not to rule out foul play or other possibilities, saying only that if there’s evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the investigation will be turned over to the Sheriff’s Office.

State Patrol officials were cautious not to declare the three people dead until bodies were found. Even so, colleagues knew chances were slim that anyone had survived.

None of the three reported to work Monday morning.

Miller-Hewitt called 9-1-1 at 1:07:59 a.m. to report the fire, according to the administrator of Yakima’s emergency call center. When firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed in flames.

One neighbor, 17-year-old Kyle Kluever, said he was still awake and was outside when he saw flames about a mile away.

Thinking it was a longtime friend’s house, he drove there to find it was the Miller house on fire.

He said he and his friend, Cameron Stump, ran the 200-yard distance to the house, which was already engulfed in flames.

Kluever said he yelled in an attempt to wake the occupants but received no response.

He ran around to the back of the structure and started to open a sliding glass door, but thought better of it because of the chance of an explosion.

Kluever said he heard ammunition being set off and rounds whizzing past his head as he approached the house.

In hindsight, Kluever said he wishes he had been able to do more.

"It would have been better if I had done something. I don’t know if I could have done something," said Kluever, who will be a senior this year at Zillah High School.

Nick Reyz, who was staying at his girlfriend’s house across the street, said the early-morning blaze lit up the hillside.

He said his girlfriend’s dog kept barking and woke him up.

"I woke up and saw the flames," he said. "The whole house was in flames."

When the sun dawned, investigators found only a blackened frame of the house. The garage was scorched but still standing.

Troopers erected a checkpoint at the base of the drive about a third of a mile from the scene of the fire, allowing only family and other law enforcement officers onto the property.

State Patrol Chief John Batiste drove from Olympia to Zillah as soon as he got word of the tragedy. Patrol supervisors also came, as well as deputies from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and police officers from Toppenish, Zillah and Yakima.

Gov. Chris Gregoire sent her condolences in a written statement: "These individuals dedicated their lives to protecting our neighbors and communities and should forever be remembered for their commitment to ensuring our safety."

Retired troopers also called in with condolences, said Trooper Robert Lamay, who was working the checkpoint.

"I’m getting calls nonstop," he said. "It’s a tight family. It’s hard to explain unless you’re in a uniform."

Troopers speculated about what might have happened, and why no one escaped from the fire. One wondered whether the Millers got delayed trying to save Sperry, who may have been sleeping in a basement apartment.

Mostly, they were in disbelief. Given the nature of their jobs, troopers worry about getting shot or getting caught in a bad accident — not dying in a fire.

Some found comfort in the stories they shared about Miller.

They chuckled about how he rolled his patrol car on Interstate 82 during icy weather near Sunnyside about 10 years ago.

A mile marker with Miller’s badge number was erected where the accident occurred — just a friendly reminder from his co-workers.

"We used to tease him about that," said one trooper who asked not to be identified.

"Gary was a fun-loving guy who cared about people, Lamay said.

"This is a guy that when I’d roll up to a collision, he’d say ‘Boy I’m glad to see you’ and give me a big hug," he said.

The Millers offered Lamay, like Sperry, a place to stay when he arrived in the area five years ago.

"He was everybody’s dad," Lamay said of Miller. "He was a big teddy bear. We all used to call him Boo Boo."