By Josh Margolis
HARLEM, Mont. (NMB) – Blaine County Sheriff John Colby has identified the victim of a fatal house fire on Tuesday morning as 25-year-old Shenia Stern of Harlem.
Dispatch received a call at 2:48 AM from a woman who was trapped in a burning house on the 300 block of 3rd Avenue Southeast in Harlem.
First responders from across Blaine County responded and when they arrived, they located the victim’s body. Authorities remained on scene until around 10 AM.
There was nobody else in the house at the time of the fire, and nobody was displaced by the fire.
Colby says the victim had been staying at the residence that night and one of her relatives had lived their previously, but the victim did not own the house.
Colby says another female arrived at the residence and tried to get the victim out, but was unable to because of the smoke. When law enforcement arrived, the woman was transported to Indian Health Services in Fort Belknap and then to Northern Montana Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Colby says the fire appears to have been started by the victim accidentally.
He says the home suffered considerable damage, but still has “decent bones” and may not be a total loss.
An investigation into the incident is being led by the State Fire Marshal.
