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Too late for a rescue Photo by Bob Pennell Deputy State Fire Marshal Charles Chase inspects the site of a fire that killed a boy and hospitalized his mother and sister Tuesday night. Neighbor, firefighters helpless to keep blaze from killing boy By JESSICA SMITH EAGLE POINT -- When Don Canty saw the flames devouring his neighbors' home, he knew he couldn't save the boy trapped inside. "The upstairs of the house was totally engulfed ... and I could see there was nothing anyone could do. It was already too late," he said. Minutes after fire broke out at 5691 Butte Falls Highway Tuesday night, Canty and his wife, Debbie, were called out of bed when two girls, dressed in pajamas and barefoot, began banging on their front door. The girls told Canty their house was on fire and people were still inside. Jackson County Fire District 3 and Butte Falls firefighters sift through the smoldering second floor of a Butte Falls area home that burned Wednesday night. The blaze killed one child, and injured another child and their mother. Canty called 911 and raced up the dirt road to the home, where he found Dianna Harrington standing outside with her youngest daughter, 2-year-old Hanna. Harrington told Canty that her 10-year-old son, Sean, was still inside. The second floor of the home was ablaze, and smoke spilled from the house into the night sky. "There was just no way anyone could run into that house and find the boy. There would have been another body in there," Canty said. Harrington and her three daughters were able to escape the burning home, but Sean never made it outside. Firefighters found his body in his bedroom about 1 a.m. Tuesday, several hours after they had extinguished the fire. Harrington and Hanna were hospitalized for injuries they suffered. Kenner Harrington, the father, was not at the home during the incident. He works in Klamath Falls and officials said he arrived on scene about 12:30 a.m. Hanna was flown by helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Hospital's burn unit in Portland, where she remained in critical condition Wednesday. A hospital spokeswoman said Hanna received second-degree burns on nearly 12 percent of her body, primarily her face, hands and right foot. Doctors put Hanna on a ventilator to help her breathe. Dianna Harrington also remained hospitalized Wednesday at the Rogue Valley Medical Center, where she was being treated for smoke inhalation. She was listed in critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit, a nursing supervisor said. Authorities said the family was inside the home when the fire broke out on the second floor about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday. Officials had yet to identify the cause of the fire late Wednesday. The two eldest girls, 11-year-old Kendra and 15-year-old Malinda, ran for help after the fire was ignited. Harrington and Hanna were apparently in a bedroom on the second floor, and Sean was in another bedroom. According to Jackson County Sheriff's Department Detective Dan Hobbs, Harrington may have re-entered the home to locate Sean. But smoke prevented her from finding her way upstairs. When Canty arrived, he took Harrington and her daughters to his residence, where they awaited officials. Firefighters from Butte Falls and Jackson County Fire districts 3 and 4 responded to the blaze, although the Harringtons lived in a rural area outside Eagle Point that has no fire protection. In unprotected rural areas, no local agency is required to respond to a fire. But officials said they could not ignore a family in need. "When we heard children were trapped in the house, we sent our stations to render aid," said Dist. 3 Division Chief Barry Hoffman. Firefighters on scene Tuesday said the home was a total loss. The Harringtons were apparently renting the property. Oregon State Police Detective Ryan Fields said the second floor of the home was a total loss and much of the contents on the first floor were badly damaged. Damage estimates were not readily available. The family lost many of its belongings in the fire, said Trisha Horton, whose daughter is close friends with Kendra Harrington. Horton said she is collecting clothing and other household items for the family. Donations may be made by calling 826-4705. "We wanted to do something to help the family. We had to turn this negative into a positive," Horton said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA