Unanswered questions continue to swirl about the cause of the fatal fire which killed six children in South Bend on Jan. 21, though state officials say this week that arson has been ruled out.
South Bend Fire Department officials have previously told WVPE they have zeroed in on the cause of the fire. But they are not disclosing the results of their investigation until insurance companies involved with the property have a chance to examine the house on North La Porte Avenue as well.
This week, the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office announced it has ruled out arson as a cause of the fire. The state fire marshal has been assisting the South Bend fire department in the investigation and said they are still waiting on autopsy results from the six Smith children who died.
Investigators say they’re aware of documented electrical issues at the rental unit, which were first reported by the South Bend Tribune. Though they have not determined if WJM Property Management had fixed the issues before the Smith family moved in.
Officials are also trying to confirm if the house had a working smoke detector and gave no timeline for when a final report will be released.