Grand Coulee home burns and claims life

A person died in an early-morning fire Monday when a home at the corner of B Street and Second Street in Grand Coulee burned.

Fire Chief Ryan Fish said the single-wide mobile home was fully engulfed the first time he saw it, and he lives across the street.

Citizens called it in at 5:24 a.m. They also "took actions to save two dogs from the yard," a Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department press release states. Fish was at the scene at 5:29.

Fish called for response from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation fire department, which is just blocks away. The fire was brought under control in about 45 minutes, and fire units were returning to their stations by 7 a.m.

Law enforcement, the Grant County Coroner's Office and Grand Coulee Fire are working together on the investigation of the fatality and fire. Fire and Law enforcement personnel were on scene until approximately 10 a.m.

Tuesday afternoon, Bruce Butler was near the burned site, trying to catch the pets that had lived there.

He identified the resident who died as Todd Marchand, his cousin.

"He really loved his animals, so I just gotta get those rounded up," Butler said. "He was really good to me ... to a lot of people."

He said a yellow, striped cat with a stubby tail and a red healer-type dog were nearby but skittish. Another dog and puppies did not survive. One other dog had already been taken in by someone with a good home, Butler said.

Fire units and personnel from Grand Coulee, Electric City Volunteer Fire Departments and Bureau of Reclamation responded to the fire, along with Grand Coulee Volunteer Ambulance, Grand Coulee Police, Grant County Sherriff deputies, and the county coroner's office.