Deputy fire marshal: Rogers fire set
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008
ROGERS - The Rogers Fire Department now has one of its answers in Thursday's fire. RFD personnel know where the fire erupted but still do not know who, how and why.
Deputy Fire Marshal William Rumsey said the department has found the area where the fire started - it began in the garage of 701 S. 23 rd St., amid all the worldly possessions of the Baldonado family, which was in the process of moving to a new home.
The department has also narrowed down the list of causes.
"It was definitely incendiary in nature," Rumsey said. "Whether it was accidentally set or intentionally set, it was definitely a set fire."
Rumsey was able to rule out a mechanical failure in the residence, because none of the utilities was connected. On Monday, Sandy Baldonado, the duplex's most recent tenant, said gas, water and electricity were turned off at the residence about a month ago. He and his family left the house three weeks ago but had not moved their belongings when the fire started.
Rumsey not only narrowed the source of the fire to the garage; he is pretty certain something in the Baldonados' belongings, stored in the garage, caught fire first.
"The first material ignited would have been something in one of those boxes," he said. "There was a lot of stuff in that garage, … and it was all destroyed."
There is some hope of salvaging some of the apartment, Rumsey said, but the kitchen and the garage are lost. The northern side of the duplex, 701, shares an attic with the southern side, 703, Rumsey said. He said it is possible the entire roof must be replaced. Both residences are heavily damaged from smoke, he said.
The Fire and Police departments are now reviewing the fire, including interviews from neighbors and witnesses, to try to determine a cause, Rumsey said.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
