4 BODIES FOUND IN REMAINS OF ANNAPOLIS MANSION FIRE. 2 ARE STILL MISSING. FIRE REDUCES MANSION TO RUBBLE MONDAY; FAMILY IDENTIFIES STILL-MISSING CHILDREN

4 BODIES FOUND IN REMAINS OF ANNAPOLIS MANSION FIRE. 2 ARE STILL MISSING. FIRE REDUCES MANSION TO RUBBLE MONDAY; FAMILY IDENTIFIES STILL-MISSING CHILDREN

January 22, 2015

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —Crews have found the bodies of four individuals from the Annapolis mansion fire, Anne Arundel County fire officials said.

Investigators started excavating the ruins Wednesday of an Annapolis-area mansion that burned to the ground in search of a man, a woman and their four grandchildren who have been missing since the blaze, and who relatives said were likely inside when the building caught fire.

Anne Arundel County Fire Capt. Russ Davies said crews were able to secure the structure Wednesday to make it safe for investigators to enter. Search teams with cadaver K-9s located the bodies of two individuals on Wednesday, and two more bodies were found Thursday, but fire officials could not say whether the bodies were those of the adults or the children. Two others remain unaccounted for.

Davies said the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner took the bodies to Baltimore for an autopsy and identification.

The mansion is owned by Sandra and Don Pyle, who is an executive with a technology company.  Neither have been seen since the fire.

The missing children were identified Thursday by a family representative as Alexis Boone, 8; Kaitlyn Boone, 7; Charlotte Boone, 8; and Wesley Boone, 6. The Boone children are the grandchildren of Sandra Pyle and the step-grandchildren of Don Pyle, the family representative said.

Fire officials and federal investigators were at the scene of the blaze on Tuesday extinguishing residual hot spots from the fire, which reduced the 16,000-square-foot mansion to rubble early Monday. Officials said Tuesday that once inside, crews would begin stabilizing the wreckage and pumping out the basement, which was flooded by water firefighters sprayed on the building.

An expert said that due to the intensity of the fire, it will likely take weeks to positively identify suspected remains found in the debris.  The search for the missing people will take time, too.

"They're going through a meticulous process. There are a lot of heavy materials from the house. As has been described previously, this isn't built like a typical residential house. This is built more like a commercial structure," Davies said. "So, it's a time-consuming process that they're going through right now."

Aerial video of the fire scene shows a big operation as delicate as it large. Guided by a specially-trained dog, the priority is to find remains of victims. The focus is the basement of the house, to which three floors collapsed. Debris must be sifted in small amounts at a time.

Still recognizable are two cars that had been left in the garage. Also in the basement, what appears to be a rack of electronic components. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives focused there Wednesday, removing the cover of one piece of equipment. The house was described by neighbors as a smart house. Investigators will have to hope something can be retrieved from a hard drive or surveillance equipment that can help answer how the fire started and why it spread so fast.

As is protocol, investigators are treating the house as a crime scene until they know more details about how the fire started. Crews remained at the scene overnight for security purposes.

Boone, Pyle families release statement

The Boone and Pyle families have asked for privacy as a memorial grows outside the former home.

"On behalf of the Boone and Pyle families, we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation for the love and support being shared with us during this tragic event.  We are blessed that so many family, friends and neighbors have come together for us in our time of need," a statement from the family representative said.

While investigators have not yet identified any of the family members as being deceased, the family's statements eludes to the fact that they believe that might be the case.

"Our love for our family is boundless. Our loss demands time and quiet reflection to process these feelings.  We ask that you respect our need for privacy," the statement read. "Life is fragile.  Make time today to embrace your loved ones."

The statement also thanked the investigators involved in the search for the missing family, saying, "We want our community to know how proud we are of all who have helped us."

REWARD OFFERED FOLLOWING SUSPICIOUS FIRE IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

REWARD OFFERED FOLLOWING SUSPICIOUS FIRE IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

January 22, 2015

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — The Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad continue to investigate a suspicious fire that broke out New Year’s morning at Eastern General Contractors. 

A reward of $5,000 is now being offered to any one who can provide information that leads to an arrest in the case.

The fire caused well over $100,000 in damage, destroying eight storage buildings in a row, as well as multiple forklifts.

“The reward is a tool used by investigators to try and get some help from the public. It’s successful probably a third of the time, so about 33 percent of the time this reward is offered, it works. We want to catch this person,” explains Dennis Leger, aide to Springfield’s fire commissioner.

Leger says that any one with information can contact the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad at (413) 787-6370 and stay anonymous if they choose. You can also ‘Text-a-Tip’ to CRIMES (274637) and in the message, type SOLVE and your tip.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM HOUSE FIRE ON ASHWOOD PLACE IN PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY. RESIDENTS WERE NOT AT HOME.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM HOUSE FIRE ON ASHWOOD PLACE IN PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY.  RESIDENTS WERE NOT AT HOME.

January 22, 2015

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Volunteer Fire Department Fire District 5 and Lake Hiawatha Volunteer Fire Department District 4 were dispatched to a residence on Ashwood Place on a report of a house fire at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.

The chief of District 5 upon arrival confirmed a working structure fire coming from the roof and upstairs of the house and requested additional units to respond from Parsippany Volunteer Fire District 6, Boonton Fire Department and Whippany Fire Department.

Parsippany Rescue and Recovery also responded to the scene to fill air bottles for firefighters and to bring the Recovery Trailer for firefighters and other first responders to take breaks. Parsippany Rescue and Recovery will also be boarding up the house when firefighters finish the overhaul and ventilation process.

Par-Troy Emergency Medical Services, Rockaway Neck Volunteer First Aid Squad and Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance squad were all on the scene standing by for any medical issues.

No injuries were reported and it is believed that the house was unoccupied at the time of the incident.

Parsippany Police Fire Investigators are on the scene currently investigating the source of the fire. Parsippany Police Department closed off Ashwood Place and directed traffic in the area as necessary.

3 YOUNG SIBLINGS DIE WHEN FIRE SWEEPS THROUGH OHIO TRAILER BECAUSE OF A DROPPED KEROSENE HEATER

3 YOUNG SIBLINGS DIE WHEN FIRE SWEEPS THROUGH OHIO TRAILER BECAUSE OF A DROPPED KEROSENE HEATER

By Mitch Stacy Associated Press

January 22, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fire caused by a dropped kerosene heater swept through a rural trailer home on Thursday, killing three young siblings, whose mother fell out a window trying to save them and couldn't get back in, a sheriff said.

The heater had caught fire, and the mother was trying to carry it outside when she dropped it in the kitchen, causing fuel to spill and the fire to start spreading through the doublewide trailer just outside Brilliant, an Ohio River village 140 miles east of Columbus, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said.

The mother then stepped out a window, preparing to start lifting her children outside to safety, but fell out of the window and couldn't get back inside because of the smoke and flames, the sheriff said.

The mother ran out to a rural road and was "hollering and screaming" until someone came by in a car and could call 911, the sheriff said. The emergency call came in just after noon, he said.

"I can only imagine her mental state," Abdalla said, struggling with his emotions as he talked about the situation. "This is just such a terrible, terrible tragedy. It's so heartbreaking."

Killed were a 4-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl who were twins and their 3-year-old sister, whose names weren't immediately released.

The mother lived with her boyfriend and their three children in the trailer, the sheriff said. The boyfriend was at work at the time. They were running the kerosene heater because they couldn't afford their electric bill.

The state fire marshal's office will investigate.

It was the fourth multiple-death home fire in Ohio since early December. Three children were killed in a Dec. 12 house fire in Hamilton, and a woman and three grandchildren were killed Dec. 26 in a fire near Washington Court House. Then on Jan. 6, a trailer fire in Fairfield County killed a 10-month-old boy, his parents and his maternal grandparents.