House Robbed after Fire

LONGVIEW — A house fire has left a Longview family homeless, and, adding insult to injury, items were stolen from the home after the fire. The fire began about 8:00 Thursday night at the home in the 1300 block of Young Street where sisters Merial Dunn and Christina Dunn, along with Christina Dunn’s three small children, lived.

“I’d just been home from work a few minutes and kept smelling something smoky,” Merial Dunn said. “There’s often a smell like somebody’s having a bonfire in this neighborhood, so I didn’t pay too much attention at first. Then I looked toward the kitchen, and it was just all lit up and obviously on fire.”

The sisters first tried to put out the fire with a home fire extinguisher. When it became apparent their efforts weren’t working, they gathered the children, left the house and called 911. Longview Fire Chief J.P. Steelman said the fire was under control at 8:45. Steelman said the cause of the fire has been ruled accidental and was due to a pan of cooking oil being left unattended on the stove.

When firefighters notified them Friday morning that they could return to the home and salvage what they could from among their belongings, they got an unwelcome surprise. At some point between when the firefighters left and the Dunns returned, thieves had entered the house and stolen some jewelry. Kristie Brian, public information officer with the Longview Police Department, said about $160 worth of jewelry was taken.