Married couple dies in Graham house fire, limited water hampers firefight

A house fire in Graham on Monday afternoon left a 70-year-old married couple dead as Central Pierce Fire & Rescue (CPFR) struggled to battle the flames.

CPFR responded to a structure fire in the 27600 block of Webster Road E. just before noon, CPFR announced.

The department noted one individual was located and receiving medical care.

Minutes later, CPFR posted to social media that the victim had succumbed to their injuries.

At approximately 3:00 p.m., an update on the fire was shared, indicating a second victim was found in the home after the fire was put out.

“Firefighters faced challenging conditions, including limited water supply, requiring water tenders to shuttle water to the scene, and structural instability on the second floor,” CPFR stated.

Assistance was provided by South Pierce Fire & Rescue. The Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Comments from the scene in Graham

A neighbor near the house that caught fire told KIRO 7 her initial thoughts about the fire.

“That’s very sad. I mean, the fire was going for quite a while. It looked like there was a lot of smoke, so I hope they didn’t suffer. That’s terrible,” Jenn Wolfe told KIRO 7.

PCSO Deputy Carly Capetto revealed how a neighbor made the initial 911 call.

“That passerby did go up this long driveway to the house and started banging on the doors, but it was too hot and the flames were too heavy at that point,” Cappetto said.

Cappetto continued to explain the potential cause of the fire, as the Fire Marshal’s Office will continue to investigate.

“It was our first very cold night last night. People are starting to use their heat sources, their heaters, and that could potentially be a part of this preliminary investigation,” Cappetto said. “It’s not showing anything suspicious about these deaths or the start or cause of this fire.”

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