No evidence of arson in fire that killed 6 children in South Bend, Indiana; cause remains undetermined
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a nearly yearlong investigation, officials in Indiana said they have been unable to determine the exact cause of a fire that killed six children in South Bend in January, but investigators have found no evidence of a crime.
On Jan. 21, the Smith family's six children were killed in a fire in the 200 block of North LaPorte Avenue. Their father tried to rescue the children – 11-year-old Angel Smith, 10-year-old Demetrius Smith, 9-year-old Davida Smith, 5-year-old Deontay Smith, 4-year-old Deangelo Smith, and 2-year-old Faith Smith – but the flames were too intense.
Two firefighters were injured. One of them fell from the second floor to the first floor while battling the blaze. He was treated at the hospital and is recovering at home. The second firefighter had minor burns.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said the cause of the fire remains undetermined, following an exhaustive investigation.
"In an investigation of this magnitude, it is normal and expected for the community to want to hear clear answers to what started this fire," Jones said. "Unfortunately, in fire investigations, those are not always available due to the nature of the incident, the extent of the fire, and from battling the blaze of the fire, and a lack of scientific evidence once the fire was extinguished."
Jones said investigators found no evidence of arson or other criminal activity. While electrical items in the home were identified as a possible ignition source for the fire, investigators could not prove they started the fire.
The fire started on the first floor in the family room and dining room area. At the time, the family was upstairs, and no one noticed the fire for several minutes, allowing it to grow in intensity before anyone called 911.
While some smoke detectors were found in the home, investigators said they could not determine if any of them went off during the fire. Neither the children's father nor witnesses heard a smoke alarm, and no smoke alarms could be heard during a 911 call from the house.
Jones said surveillance video from a church across the street showed the first signs of the fire around 6:09 p.m., but it wasn't for at least two minutes that it appeared anyone upstairs had noticed the fire. Around 6:12 p.m., the children's father could be seen dropping from a second floor window to the ground outside the house, and then trying to get inside to rescue his children, who were trapped on the second floor.
The first 911 call was made from the house at 6:14 p.m., but by then the fire had caused multiple windows to break on the first floor, and the first floor was almost fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters arrived on the scene at 6:17 p.m.
"I think you can see from the fire growth, from the time we first noticed to the time the fire department arrived, that that fire was just absolutely huge, and so it was a very difficult incident," Jones said.
Officials said the deadly fire serves as a reminder that families should make sure they have working smoke detectors on every floor of their home, practice fire drills, and make sure all exits are clear.
"Communities such as ours are strengthened by how they overcome adversity and come together to support one another after tragic events," South Bend Fire Chief Carl Buchanon said. "Working together through public education and fire prevention will help these events from occurring more often, and will always be the top priority of the dedicated men and women of the South Bend Fire Department."