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Grieving relatives have identified the Washington family that was killed in a horrific house fire over the weekend. Flames erupted at a home in the 8800 block of Sherman Valley Road in Olympia, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Department.
Juan Bogart told KOMO that his daughter, Destiny Cox, her husband Steven, and three of their children died in the tragic incident. The kids' ages were 10, 12, and 13.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life,” Bogart said. “When I was there, they kept spraying the fireplace when the front of the roof collapsed. It took them forever to get in there because the whole house was about to cave in."
By the time firefighters pulled up to the scene, the house was "engulfed in flames," deputies wrote. Five more fire departments responded to the blaze, but the family had already died by then. Officials said a young family friend staying over at the Cox's home was able to escape the flames.
One of the couple's children, a 14-year-old boy, survived because he wasn't home when the house fire happened.
"We’re all just going to just be good to him, take care of him and try to make him get through this process,” Bogart said, adding that he's grateful to the Tumwater community for their support during this difficult time.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Department doesn't suspect any foul play in the fire. The investigation is ongoing. The coroner's office hopes to confirm the victims' identities in the coming days.
Relatives have started a GoFundMe to cover the family's funeral expenses. Whatever is left over will go into a trust for the surviving 14-year-old.