LJWorld.com / Press release on fire investigation

Archive for Friday, September 29, 2006

September 29, 2006

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CITY OF LAWRENCE

LAWRENCE DOUGLAS COUNTY FIRE MEDICAL

Friday, September 29, 2006

CONTACT: Mark Bradford, Fire Chief, Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical (785) 830-7000

or Lisa Patterson, communications manager (785) 832-3406

Investigation complete on 1205 New Jersey fire: Chief briefing set for 4pm today

(Lawrence, Ks) - Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical has completed the investigation on the fire at 1205 New Jersey. The fire's cause will be listed as undetermined.

Results of the investigation, at this time, do not indicate any criminal activity, however the fire will be classified as undetermined. Two possible factors cannot be eliminated: electrical and a human factor, whether accidental or malicious. Nearly one-third of all fires in the United States are listed as undetermined. One factor in that statistic is the level of difficulty that is nearly always present in a fire investigation. The heavy damage to the structure as well as the absence of witnesses contributed to the inability to identify electrical or human factor as the cause.

Many fire investigations identify the origin and cause through witness interviews. In the investigation of the 1205 New Jersey fire, 70 leads were investigated with 60 interviews conducted. Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical has also tapped local, state and federal agencies to assist in the investigation. Investigators from the ATF, Kansas State Fire Marshal, Lawrence Police Department, and Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical have all contributed to the efforts to identify the origin and cause of the fire.

"Our investigators would like nothing more than to provide a conclusive result in this tragic loss, however an undetermined cause is what our investigation has concluded," said Chief Mark Bradford of Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical. "We sympathize with the family and their need to have closure."

MEDIA BRIEFING

Chief Mark Bradford will provide a briefing on the investigation on the fire of 1205 New Jersey at 4p.m. on Friday, September 29 at the Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical Administrative Offices, 1911 Stewart Avenue, in front of the bay area outside.

Chief Bradford will deliver a statement and answer questions.