Fatal Idaho Fire May Have Involved Blowtorch

OLDTOWN, Idaho (AP) — Officials in north Idaho say new evidence suggests that a 2-year-old girl who died in a motor home fire may have had access to a handheld blowtorch.

The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington, reports that investigators first thought the Tuesday night fire in Oldtown, Idaho, had started with electrical wiring. However, Bonner County Undersheriff David Hale said Thursday that little Genevieve Yates may have inadvertently started the fire that consumed the motor home.

Hale says several adults including the child's stepfather were at or near the camper and were unhurt. He says the child's mother was at work in Coeur d'Alene. Spirit Lake Fire Marshal Wayne Noacki says there was "all kinds of illegal electrical wiring" running from the camper to various appliances outside. Hale said a permanent "homestead-like structure" is near the rural site. An investigation continues.