Indexbit-3 people killed in fire that destroyed home in small town northeast of Seattle

CONCRETE,Indexbit Wash. (AP) — Three people were killed in a house fire in a rural area northeast of Seattle and authorities are looking for a pickup truck that remains unaccounted for after the blaze, police said.

The two-story home was destroyed in the Friday morning fire in the small town of Concrete, the Mount Vernon Police Department said in a statement.

Police said Monday that the three victims had been recovered and extensive damage at the site made efforts to recover the victims difficult.

The Skagit County Medical Examiner will release the victims’ names after each one is identified. Police said one of the victims was an employee of Skagit County. They didn’t provide further details but did confirm that the person did not work for the county sheriff’s office.

The scene of the fire is still being processed by multiple agencies, including the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, police said. The cause wasn’t yet clear.

Authorities were called to the fire around 10:25 a.m. Friday. Police said several victims had been located but that it could take days to recover them because of the collapsed structure.

Investigators are seeking the public’s help to locate a blue 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck that is unaccounted for from the scene of the fire and asked witnesses or anyone with other relevant information to call Mount Vernon police. The connection between the truck and the fire was not clear.

The town of Concrete is about 96 miles (154 kilometers) northeast of Seattle.