Fire: December 2009 Archives

A new grand jury report on the March fire that killed four of the nine residents of a Hamilton County group home offers some meaningful recommendations to protect the safety of New York’s developmentally disabled citizens, the New York Civil Liberties Union says.  The grand jury report says that a fire origin expert witness has identified the port of origin for the fire as being on the exterior screened porch located on the rear of the building and indicates that the fire started in a trash can on the porch.

In June, the Department of State, Office of Fire Prevention and Control had determined that the cause of the fire was the result of “human action”.  “We submit that this demonstrates the very significant challenge presented in evacuating individuals who do not have self preservation skills. We also submit that these circumstances were reasonably forseeable.” Fire safety in this group home and in the thousands others like it are reviewed by employees who monitor the quality of care provided to residents. They have little training and “cannot in any sense be considered experts in the field,” the report says.

For more, see northcountygazette.org.

Testimony has ended in the Des Moines County Courthouse trial of Dennis Duane Richards Richards, 59. Richards is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 4 death of his 46-year-old fiancee and former wife, Cyd Charisse Richards. He also is on trial for second-degree arson on allegations he burned the woman's house shortly after he killed her.  Joe Lestina, a special agent from the Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office, gave the jury a thorough review of how the arson investigation was conducted.

One piece of evidence in particular, an empty gallon bottle of Gatorade seized from Richards' DMC 99 apartment tested positive for gasoline residue.  Lestina said fire cause and origin experts ruled out everything that could cause an accidental fire, including a lightning strike and electrical malfunction.  Data collected from the scene indicated pointed the fire, which started in the woman's basement, was intentionally set "using an open flame on an ordinary combustible material," he said.

For more, see thehawkeye.com.