A week after a young girl’s death, plans are in the works to remember and seek justice for Autumn Hawk, who died in an Oct. 1 motor-home explosion and fire near Foy’s Lake, as the investigation surrounding the girl’s death continues.

A memorial candelight vigil in remembrance of 8-year-old Autumn is set for Peterson Elementary School at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, four days before neighbors and an activist plan to sit down and air their concerns with county prosectuors about how complaints about the living situation on the property were handled prior to Hawk’s death.

Vigil organizer Salinda Lechner said she did not know Hawk but was surprised that no one in the community had organized anything in remembrance of the girl.

“I feel like she needs one,” Lechner said. “I just want it to be one small voice for her.”

Participants should dress warmly and bring their own candles for a short moment of silence in Autumn’s memory, Lechner said. She asked that people not bring negativity or frustration with them to the vigil.

“I just kind of want to keep it quiet for that night,” Lechner said. “This is for Autumn, not anybody else.”

A time and place for raising concerns about Hawk’s death has also been set, as a group of approximately a dozen neighbors of the 425 Daley Lane residence where the fire occurred intend to meet with representatives from the Flathead County Attorney’s Office on Tuesday.

They hope to get some answers about if there will be consequences for the events leading up to the girl’s death.

Former Whitefish resident and child-protection advocate Cheryl Hodges will also attend, and try to get answers about why Autumn was in the care of her parents, after multiple alleged reports were made by community members about possible drug activity at the residence and possible child neglect.

“I’m going to insist that the district attorney charge children’s services,” Hodges said. “I’m going to tell them that if you don’t do this, if you don’t take care of these kids, they are going to die.”

Hodges has led protests and calls for reform in Montana’s Child Protective Services system after the 2010 death of her two grandchildren, allegedly from child abuse. Hodges said the suspected abuse was reported to authorities but nothing was done about it.

She became involved in Autumn’s case after neighbors relayed to her problems that they had getting a response from Child Protective Services.

The neighbors have told Hodges that Autumn’s family moved on to the property in June and that suspected drug traffic onto and off the property after that point was almost continuous during nighttime hours. The neighbors claim they made multiple reports to Child Protective Services about Autumn and her two older siblings being left at home — unsupervised without proper care and access to basic necessities — but were told to quit calling because they were “nuisance calls.”

Calls to the local Child Protective Services office were forwarded to Montana Department of Health and Human Services Spokesperson Jon Ebelt in Helena.

“In response to child and family service cases, that’s confidential information, so we can’t share any information with you,” Ebelt said.

Flathead County Undersheriff Dave Leib said Wednesday that the investigation into the fire and the girl’s death is ongoing. He did not have any new details that could be released.

Reporter Megan Strickland may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at [email protected].