Fire investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a fire at a rental home in Winfield Aug. 5, but fire marshal Alan Stoll said the blaze at 321 N. Houston does not appear to be electrical in nature.
If true, that finding would likely dismiss talk that the condition of the aging home led to the fire, Stoll said. The renters, Robert and Lydia Buck, had expressed concerns about items in the home that had long needed fixed.
"But at this point in time I’m not thinking that it is electrical in nature, which would mean the condition of the structure didn’t play into the cause of the fire," he said. "Certainly renters can have problems with certain things and think that those problems should get fixed faster than they do, that’s not uncommon."
Stoll said the investigation into the fire will remain open for the time being. Determining a cause, he said, would come by following the process of elimination, though he couldn’t say how long that process might take.
Stoll did mention that the fire had led to the loss of a second family pet over the weekend. A dog named Cotton, who was pulled from the home and revived with oxygen, had to be euthanized due to serious health problems caused by smoke inhalation and heat exposure.
"I know his lungs were continuing to fill up with fluid," Stoll said.
Another pet died in the fire at the home.
The home and its contents were valued at approximately $30,000.
