photo by: Sara Shepherd

Lawrence firefighters inspect the scene of a fatal fire at 938 E. 19th St., Monday, March 26, 2018.

Lawrence fire investigators have finished their work at the scene of last month’s fatal house fire and found no smoke alarms, officials said.

Investigators have yet to release a ruling on how the fire started.

Heavy flames were already visible at 938 E. 19th St. when a passerby reported the fire about 6:10 a.m. March 26. The sole occupant of the house, 28-year-old Madison Halverstadt, was killed.

James King, Division Chief and Fire Marshal with Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, said his department completed its work at the scene within days. However, it’s still finishing follow-up interviews and investigation, which the department wants to complete before releasing a ruling on what ignited the fire.

“We’re trying to follow every lead to make sure we don’t miss anything,” King said.

Investigators did not find any smoke detectors in the house after the fire, remnants or otherwise, King said.

The department has ruled the fire accidental, based on preliminary investigation, King said. He said investigators believe it started in the living room and that Halverstadt — who was pulled from a bedroom, unresponsive — likely died from smoke inhalation.

King said the fire department’s investigation at the scene included using an accelerant sniffing dog from the state fire marshal’s office, which did not locate anything suspicious.

photo by: Contributed photo

Madison Halverstadt

The Lawrence Police Department has concluded its investigation into Halverstadt’s death and no foul play is suspected, Officer Derrick Smith said. Smith said police work “collaboratively” with the fire department on death investigations resulting from fires or any that may be suspicious in nature.

The little yellow house, gutted by the fire, was still standing this week but with portions beginning to cave in. It’s now surrounded by orange safety fencing.

The fire department estimated the total loss of the two-bedroom house and contents at $43,000, a “conservative” figure, King said.

City code requires working smoke alarms in all rental units.

At the time of the fire, 938 E. 19th St. was properly licensed under the city’s rental program but had not been inspected, city communications director Porter Arneill said.

The owner has multiple properties and was in good standing, however, under the code the city inspects only 10 percent of an owner’s portfolio when inspections are due, Arneill said. This house was not one of those inspected, he said.

The owner is not facing disciplinary action from the city, Arneill said.

“Because we can only pursue compliance with violations we observe during inspection, we cannot cite the owner for a violation,” Arneill said.

The Journal-World’s phone calls to the number on a “for rent” sign in the yard of the house the day of the fire have not been returned.

The house was on the city’s online map of licensed rental properties before the fire, Arneill said. He said it was deactivated from the map that afternoon, after a code enforcement officer visited the scene within a few hours of the fire and determined the house was a total loss.

Even among licensed rental properties that have been inspected, lack of working smoke alarms is the most frequently found of all violations, according to Lawrence’s annual rental reports for the past three years.

Last year, inspectors found 834 smoke alarm violations at rental properties, according to the city’s 2017 report.

Everyone should ensure their homes have working smoke alarms, King said.

“The key is just getting some type of notification, and that’s where smoke alarms are so critically important,” he said.

Put smoke alarms in bedrooms and common areas, maintain them to make sure they’re working, and then — if they do go off — don’t ignore them, King said. If there’s smoke, get low to the ground, get out of the house and don’t go back in. If anyone’s unaccounted for, tell firefighters when they arrive.

“The smoke is typically the aspect of a fire that claims lives,” he said. He said the poisonous mix of carbon monoxide and other gasses has “a very low threshold to render somebody unable to escape.”