Infant dies in early morning house fire in Monmouth

An infant died in an early morning fire that completely destroyed a Monmouth home Wednesday, officials said. 

Firefighters responded to the fire call on 700 block of N. Catron St. just before 2 a.m.

It took crews five minutes to reach the home. By the time they arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames, said Polk County Fire District No. 1 Deputy Chief Neal Olson. 

When firefighters arrived, two adults and two children had already evacuated the flaming home, but a 1-year-old boy remained inside. 

Firefighters attempted a rescue but were unable to find the baby. Once the fire was extinguished, crews found the infant's body.

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal and Monmouth police are assisting with their investigation into the cause of the fire. 

Olson said an electrical problem on the exterior of the home sparked the fire. The fire may have spread into the attic before engulfing the entire house. He said the home had working smoke alarms. 

Two firefighters suffered burn injuries during the attempted rescue. One is being treated at a local hospital, and another was sent to the Portland Burn Center. 

The home was a total loss, he added, with the fire causing an estimated $200,000 in damage. 

According to a GoFundMe account set up by family, 1-year-old Sebastion, described as a "happy, smiley little boy," died in the fire. 

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

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