Two State Patrol troopers, dispatcher die in Central Washington house fire

  • The Associated Press
  • Monday, August 16, 2010 12:17pm
  • News

The Associated Press

ZILLAH — Three employees of the Washington State Patrol are believed to be dead after an early morning house fire near Zillah in Yakima County.

The State Patrol says investigators have not entered the fire scene, but the house was destroyed and there’s no evidence anyone survived or escaped.

The victims were identified as 55-year-old Trooper Gary Miller; his wife, Anne Miller-Hewitt, who was a communications manager who headed up the State Patrol’s 9-1-1 center in Wenatchee; and 30-year-old Trooper Kristopher Sperry, who graduated from the State Patrol academy in June and was living with the Millers while his house was being built.

Yakima County Sheriff’s Detective Stu Graham says it’s too early to say what might have caused the fire. It was initially reported in an emergency call by one of the three victims at 1:38 a.m. today.

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