3 killed in Skagit County fire; Investigators looking for man possibly involved
Aug 14, 2024, 4:12 PM | Updated: 4:16 pm
Three people were killed in a fire in Skagit County. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Investigators are looking for a man they believe could have been involved in a deadly fire in Skagit County.
The person of interest is 49-year-old, Jason M. Birman, according to a news release from the City of Mount Vernon on Wednesday.
Investigators are looking for this man. He drives a blue e 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck. (Photos courtesy of the City of Mount Vernon)
The fire occurred Friday in Concrete off of State Route WA-530. Three people were reported dead and the Skagit County Coroner’s Office is currently undergoing forensic examination.
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According to officials, the substantial damage to the 2-story house, surrounding buildings and nearby cars had made recovery efforts difficult. Skagit County Search and Rescue has also had to sift through the 4.5-acre, heavily wooded, property.
Crews have sifted through the rubble of a Skagit County fire. (Photos courtesy of the City of Mount Vernon)
KIRO 7 spoke with Anissa Smith, who lives down the road.
“I went outside and saw the smoke and at that point started to hear sirens,” she said.
Smith told KIRO 7 she was worried the fire was spreading to nearby trees and then learned three people had died.
“Just knowing that anybody was in there definitely was impactful,” she said. “The general circumstances seemed kind of shady.”
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Investigators think Birman was at the house in the time leading up to the fire. Also unaccounted for is his blue 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck, with Washington State registration C67636L. Officials said Birman is known to frequent Skagit and Whatcom counties and is an avid four-wheeler.
Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at 360-661-2319.
The city said further information will be released pending notification of next of kin.
Contributing: KIRO 7
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
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