By Matt Zapotosky
The Columbus Dispatch
Copyright 2007 The Columbus Dispatch
All Rights Reserved
SOUTH LINDEN, Ohio — The June 7 fire that killed her son and her nephew was just the beginning of Latoya Shanks’ heartaches.
In the days that followed, two more of her children died of fire-related injuries.
And investigators still haven’t figured out what caused the fire.
TV shows such as CSI make fire investigations seem easy, but the truth is much more complex. Officials say investigations can last several hours to several months, depending on the extent of the damage.
The cause of the fire at 1639 Kohr Place in South Linden, the house that Shanks rented, is still listed as undetermined. Columbus had 754 residential fires in 2006; 124 remained under investigation, and the cause of 68 — 9 percent — was undetermined.
Statewide, the cause of 12 percent of residential fires was listed as undetermined for 2005, the latest year that statistics were available. However, the state fire marshal’s office reported that fatal fires increased in 2006 over the previous year, 170 compared with 119.
Four sets of investigative eyes are on the Shanks case:
- Columbus Fire Division officials say the fire started in the middle of three upstairs bedrooms and appears to have been accidental.
- Shanks’ attorney, Rex H. Elliott, said his investigator is focusing on whether a fan motor might have started the fire.
- A spokesman for Auto-Owners Insurance, which insured the property, declined to comment on the thrust of its investigation.
- The fan manufacturer also is involved, Elliott said, but he would not name the company.
They all want to know what caused the fire, but each has a different focus. While the Columbus fire investigator is waiting for test results on debris, Elliott’s investigator also is concerned that smoke alarms did not sound during the blaze.
Shanks “really wanted to make sure that no stones were unturned,” Elliott said. “We have looked probably more intensely at the property owner’s background. ... The smoke alarms were obviously a big issue.”
John Perez, attorney for Thai Hung Hoang, who owns the house, said the smoke alarms worked when Shanks moved in and she signed papers indicating she would maintain them.
“I know of no comment (by) her during her stay that she said otherwise,” Perez said.
The Kohr Place fire is an example of the complexity of fire investigation. It’s a process that involves lawyers, investigators and insurance company officials all serving a different interest but trying to solve the same puzzle.
“It’s not uncommon for us to work with an independent contractor, so to speak,” said Shane Cartmill, a spokesman for the state fire marshal’s office.
Greg Haggit, a Columbus fire investigator, said he can’t predict when the results of the Kohr Place tests will be ready.
“Believe me, I wish this would have happened right afterward,” Haggit said. “The process was kind of slow getting off the ground as far as the different parties getting involved from the insurance company, from the homeowner, from the occupants.”
Compounding the problem is the fact that the process for determining a cause sometimes yields no results, said Ron Stemen, the central Ohio investigator for the state fire marshal.
“In reality, it takes some time to do some good investigation,” he said.
He follows burn patterns on walls, floors and ceilings to trace the fire back to its area of origin. He rearranges the room as it was before the fire to see how it burned. He analyzes debris — sometimes sending it out for testing by specialists such as electrical engineers or scientists.
“Most likely, your evidence is still there. It just changed form,” he said.
Fire investigators working for lawyers or insurance companies follow the same process, emphasizing a systematic, scientific approach, said Greg Gorbett, a fire and explosions analyst with John A. Kennedy & Associates. Shanks, now 25, declined to comment for this story. Elliott said she is not frustrated at the length of the investigation but wants to make sure the cause is found.
“To be honest with you, I don’t think she’s even capable of frustration. She’s just sad,” Elliott said.
Shanks’ son Michael Palmer Jr., 7, and her nephew Rondell Hampton, 4 months, who lived with her, died in Children’s Hospital on the day of the fire. Two others, Kiiara Palmer-Shanks, 10, and Mekhi Jones, 13 months, died in the days that followed. Shanks, along with boyfriend Michael Terrell Jones, 35, and their 2-year-old son, Terrell, escaped the fire.
“The worst thing that could happen here is for the investigation to be inconclusive,” Elliott said. “This is a mother who really would like an answer.”