Man killed in ‘suspicious’ Gig Harbor fire IDed. 2nd victim’s name not released
One of the people killed in a house fire in the Gig Harbor area this month has been identified, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Oliverio Huitron-Rosalez, 64, died on April 8 near the 15600 block of 14th Avenue Northwest, the office wrote in a news release. Huitron-Rosalez’s cause and manner of deaths are listed as pending. That is a temporary designation used when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification.
Huitron-Rosalez’s address is listed as unknown, so it is not clear if the victim resided in the home where the fire occurred.
Deputies and Gig Harbor fire crews were dispatched at 8 p.m. to find the newly rented house engulfed in flames, according to the Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.
Neighbors reported hearing a large explosion before the fire began. Two bodies were found in the home, the post said. One of them was confirmed to be a male.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet publicly released the name of the second person who died.
Detectives and forensics technicians are investigating the “suspicious nature of the fire and deaths,” the post said.
The Sheriff’s Office is looking for security footage captured from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. which shows traffic or any suspicious activity along 14th Avenue Northwest and Southeast 160th Street, according to the department on X. Video can be submitted through a QR code located on the X post.
Gig Harbor Fire wrote on X that the cause of the fire is undetermined.
As of April 15, there are no updates to the investigation on the deaths, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told The News Tribune.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 4:22 PM.
