Victims identified in fatal Moses Lake house fire
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 3 weeks AGO
The victims who died in a house fire on Miller Drive Northeast have been identified.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 8, 2026 5:15 PM
MOSES LAKE — The victims in an early-morning house fire in Moses Lake on Wednesday have been identified.
Tim Catlin, death investigator with the Grant County Coroner’s Office, said the victims were Nikki Leggett, 30, and Zaccari Miller, 29.
“The cause of death for both is going to be asphyxia due to inhalation of smoke,” Catlin said.
The fire was reported at about 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, said Moses Lake Fire Chief Art Perillo in a Wednesday press release. The house was near the intersection of Miller Drive and Highland Drive Northeast.
Initial reports said people were still inside the house, Perillo said.
“Upon arrival, crews found the residence heavily involved in fire and immediately initiated fire suppression and search operations,” Perillo said.
Two other people escaped the house, but Miller and Leggett did not, he said. The house did not have smoke alarms, said Lynne Lynch, communications and marketing specialist for the city of Moses Lake.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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