Investigation Continues Into Fire That Left Family Dead
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Crews are still on the scene in Annapolis where a massive house fire took the lives of six people---four of them children no older than eight.
Marcus Washington went to the home Tuesday.
It's been eight days since the fire destroyed that multi-million dollar, 16,000 square foot home, taking six lives. Now that the recovery is over, the main focus of the investigation is on what happened and why.
A police-manned barricade and a snow-covered, makeshift memorial is as far anyone outside of an Annapolis house fire investigation can travel. But beyond this line, Sky Eye Chopper 13 captured what's left of the home destroyed by the fire that started January 19. Inside that home, tech executive Dan Pyle, his wife Sandy and their four grandchildren---eight-year-old Charlotte, her brother, Wes, who was six, and Lexie and Katie, who were eight and seven.
For seven days, investigators recovered their bodies. Now that all six have been recovered, investigators can focus more on the two big questions: how did this fire start and why did it spread so quickly?
"It's a very methodical investigation; everything is taken step by step," said Jim Goetz.
Goetz is a former Anne Arundel County firefighter and currently runs Arundel News Network. He explains what happens after a body is recovered.
"Once a body is found, it's a game changer. Everything stops. They have to do a certain investigation from a cause and origin fire, now to a death investigation," he said.
For now, the barricade and memorial remain, as do the questions into what happened to cause that fire and the death of a family.
Throughout the investigation, there will be 50 or more people scouring the home and crews are using accelerant-sniffing dogs.
In a statement, the family said, "We are relieved that our loved ones have all been recovered. We thank the men, women, and canine service animals who have worked so tirelessly to bring them home to us. Though we are grieving deeply, this has brought us some small sense of closure. We take comfort in that they are now together, and we can begin to mend our hearts.
We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from the community. The kindness shown by friends and strangers alike has been overwhelming.
Our family appreciates continued respect for our privacy as we attempt to come to terms with this immense loss."