CONCRETE, Washing, — A house fire in Concrete, Washington killed several people, including a Skagit County contract worker.

Officers with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) were called to a reported fire at a building in the 15000 block of SR WA-530 at approximately 10:24 a.m. on August 9.

According to the Mount Vernon Police Department (MVPD), the fire destroyed a two-story home.

Initial investigation revealed that the address was the home of a non-police contract employee of Skagit County. Because of this relationship, MVPD was asked to conduct the investigation.

Authorities found several victims at the scene of the fire. The exact number is still unknown. MVPD said recovery efforts could take several days due to the collapsed house and heavy equipment will be needed to clear the debris.

Aaron Vogel, who lives a few houses away, remembers the moment he saw black smoke rising above his cabin.

“I looked up about four houses and could see black smoke. I knew it was someone’s house. My neighbor called me and told me what was going on. I was shocked because I knew something was going on. There was debris in my yard that was blowing out of the house. So I knew something was going on,” Vogel said.

Vogel said that at the time of the fire, he was worried about the severity of the situation and what would happen to his house.

“I didn’t know if I had to evacuate or if they were going to come and tell us to leave because I knew it was a fire and it was very close,” Vogel added.

The MVPD is the lead investigative agency for the fire and is assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Washington State Patrol and the Skagit County Fire Marshall.