A house fire in Riddle killed four children early Wednesday morning, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said. Another child and two adults were taken to a Portland hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The fire broke out shortly after 2 a.m. in the 700 block of East Third Avenue, deputies said. Investigators remained at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
The cause of the blaze did not appear suspicious, but an investigation was continuing, authorities said.
"It's awful, it's devastating," Douglas County sheriff's Deputy Dwes Hutson said. "It's a small town. There are less than 1,000 people in Riddle."
Gwendolyn Howell, 4; Haley Maher, 7; Isaiah Young, 10; and Nicholas Lowe, 13, died at the scene.