The origin of a fatal motel fire in Newport came from a ground-level room but the incident killed four guests on the second floor, police said in an update Monday morning.
The fire, which ignited before 6 a.m. at the City Center Motel, killed two people from Portland and two from Springfield, Newport police Lt. Jason Malloy said in a news release.
Tammi Sue Hepner, 51, and Allen Arthur Hepner, 63, of Portland and Sandra Sue Shoemaker, 60, and Danny Keith Shoemaker, 64, of Springfield died inside their second-floor rooms, Malloy said. The Hepners' bodies were discovered at 4 p.m. Friday and the Shoemakers were found four hours later, Malloy said.
Both of their rooms, 220 and 221, became engulfed in flames that blocked the exits of each room, Malloy said. As the fire spread, the second floor collapsed, he added. Both couples died from "causes related to the fire," Malloy said.