Fire Investigator Eric Eifert is concluding his investigation of the 2nd Alarm fire at Hornbrook Estates that occurred earlier today. Eifert said he has completed his investigation of the structure and needs a final interview with the occupant to confirm information gathered during the investigation.
The fire started on the balcony (deck) of apartment 2613C at approximately 5 am this morning. At least one of the occupants was a smoker and kept a discarded cigarette container in the location on the balcony where the blaze occurred. There were sprinklers in the units but not on the balcony as the Fire Code did not require them at the time the structure was built around 1999. The fire spread from the balcony area into the eave and then into the attic area where sprinklers typically are not found in buildings of that age.
Once in the attic, fire traveled the length of the building burning off the roof.
The current Fire Code requires sprinklers in the living areas, including the balcony or deck area.
Eric Eifert has completed his investigation and determined the cause of this morning’s blaze as discarded smoking materials.
That was a pretty big fire from a little container of old cigarette buts. Does anyone double check on the fire investigators findings and make sure that they are doing their job right? Perhaps the insurance company for the building might have an investigator also see what the cause of the fire was. I’m not so sure that there is enough fuel load in a container of burned up cigarettes to start such a fire. It looks like the entire roof of this complex was destroyed. That will lead to much damage to the apartments below from the smoke and water.
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