LANDER - Officials are still investigating a heartbreaking trailer fire that took the lives of three small children in a Riverton mobile home park this summer.

The Riverton Volunteer Fire Department, with assistance from the State Fire Marshal's office, has completed its inquiry into the fire. But the Fremont County Sheriff's Department has yet to conclude its side of the investigation, according to Brady Patrick, fire chief with the Riverton Fire Department.

"The sheriff's office is working on finishing their investigation, and we're not going to release anything until the sheriff's investigation is complete," Patrick said this week.

An official told the Star-Tribune in November that new wrinkles emerged during the course of the investigation that have prolonged the inquiry.

In a case such as this, witness's stories about what happened have to be reconciled with the physical evidence established by the fire investigators.

Detective Sgt. Bill Braddock, the lead investigator on the case for the Fremont County Sheriff's Department, said he cannot predict when the investigation might be concluded.

"We haven't come to any conclusions yet, one way or another," Braddock said. "I would hope that after the first of the year, after everybody's schedule eases up, we as a team can get together and draw some conclusions and see where we want to go."

The trailer burst into flames in Riverton's Cozy Mobile Home Park on Aug. 7, and was consumed in a matter minutes.

Nine members of an extended family were living in the trailer at the time, two adult women and seven children.

Bridgett Mullins, 29, was inside the mobile home when it ignited, and was able to rescue her children, but she suffered third degree burns over 30 percent of her body, according to an e-mail sent from her mother, Donna Dinges, just after the fire.

Bridgett Mullins' sister-in-law, Rachel Mullins, lost three children in the fire: 1-year-old Ezra Black, 2-year-old Kathryn Mullins and 3-year-old Jesse Black.

When Riverton firefighters responded to the blaze they found the hydrants at the Cozy Mobile Home Park did not have water, the Star-Tribune reported in August.

But officials said the dry hydrants did not affect the rescue efforts, because the firefighters arrived at the scene with more than enough water.

The first fire engine arrived within eight minutes of the call, and it was carrying 2,500 gallons of water, according to Matt Lee, assistant fire chief with the Riverton Fire Department. The two engines that arrived shortly thereafter had another 3,500 gallons combined, and the initial "knock-down" of the blaze took fewer than 2,500 gallons, he said.

Some fires are impossible to predict and are inescapable, but there are things people can do to improve their odds of survival, Patrick said this week.

"The main lesson that can come out of this is to make sure that every household has smoke detectors and a fire escape plan," Patrick said. "Certainly I can't say that smoke detectors would have saved the loss of life [in this case], but it sure would have given them a better chance."

Contact reporter Chris Merrill at (307) 26706722 or chris.merrill@trib.com

Year Tracker

What happened in 2008: Three children died when a trailer burst into flames and was consumed in a matter of minutes on Aug. 7, in Riverton's Cozy Mobile Home Park.

Where things stand: The investigation into the cause has continued for nearly five months.

Coming in 2009: Fire investigators have completed their portion of the inquiry, but officials will not release any details until the Fremont County Sheriff's Department completes its investigation.