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Ashland child dies after fire in home By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune ASHLAND - A 3-year-old girl died and her younger sister was seriously injured after a fire ignited in an apartment early Thursday. Neither the name of the 3-year-old child nor her 16-month-old sister were available. Their mother, 25-year-old Michelle Wimberly, was treated and released from Rogue Valley Medical Center. Hospital staff would not discuss her injuries. The fire's cause remained under investigation late Thursday, but firefighters said the apartment in the Tudor Square complex in the 700 block of Terra Avenue had no working smoke alarms. The alarms' batteries had been removed, firefighters said. "It's a reminder that we're all at risk," said Ashland Fire Chief Keith Woodley. "People need to make sure if they have smoke detectors that the batteries are in them." The fire ignited in and was confined to the children's bedroom, Woodley said. The children were in the room at the time, but it wasn't clear to firefighters if the two were asleep. Wimberly was in an adjacent room, Woodley said. A neighbor who rented two rooms in the four-room unit smelled the smoke, alerted Wimberly and called the fire department around 7:15 a.m., said Ashland fire Capt. Bob Cockell. The girls likely suffered from smoke inhalation, Cockell said. The blaze was out when firefighters arrived, and Wimberly was outside the apartment with her 16-month-old daughter in her arms, he said. The 3-year-old girl was still inside, he added. Both girls were taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center where the 3-year-old was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon. The 16-month-old was listed in serious condition. "It's just very, very unfortunate for this to happen under these circumstances," said Ashland police Lt. Rich Walsh. Police detectives were investigating the fire, but there was no evidence that any crime took place, Walsh said. The fire could have burned itself out when it ran out of oxygen, Cockell said. He said he didn't know if the apartment's residents tried to extinguish the flames before firefighters arrived. The room had substantial smoke damage, Woodley said. The blaze is only the fourth fatal fire in more than 80 years in Ashland, Woodley said. The most recent claimed the life of an elderly blind man living in a trailer park in 1991. Because the victims were so young, Thursday's fire was particularly emotional for firefighters and paramedics, many of whom have young children, Woodley said. "It's a tragedy for our community." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.