SUN CITY – Nearly three weeks after the first fatal house fire in Sun City occurred, the cause of the fire is still unknown.
The blaze, which extensively damaged a home in the 12700 block of Oak Grove Drive on November 4, has triggered a comprehensive and detailed investigation by insurance officials. According to Huntley Fire Chief Jim Saletta, this investigation will take at least several weeks to complete.
The victim of the fire was James Horn, who authorities and neighbors say lived alone.
Saletta told the Sun Day that his department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal investigated the fire and determined that it started somewhere in or near the kitchen. But they have been unable to determine the exact cause of the blaze. There are a couple of probable reasons for this, according to Saletta.
“The fire had involved the entire back of the home by the time a neighbor who was walking a dog noticed the smoke and called 911,” he said. “When we arrived, the police officer who was first on the scene told us there was someone inside. We decided to make an all-out rescue effort, and our first crew entered the home but was turned back by high amounts of heat and smoke. They had no hoses to fight it. A second crew went in, knocked down the fire, and found the victim in the kitchen. He was non-responsive. We believe the delay in discovery of the fire, and the high degree of activity by the crews attempting a rescue, may have inadvertently destroyed evidence that might have helped us pinpoint a cause in the initial investigation.”
One of the Huntley firefighters was slightly injured in the rescue attempt. He received brief medical treatment at a hospital. Saletta said a coroner’s report indicated that Horn died of smoke inhalation.
“Since the fire, we have had many questions and inquiries regarding the cause and origin of the fire, as well as the circumstances surrounding this death,” Saletta said.
Other questions include: How did the fire get to an advanced stage so quickly prior to the arrival of the fire department? And why was the resident not able to exit his house after the smoke alarms went off?
Saletta said that at this time, they do not have an answer and may never have one.
“One question we can respond to is, ‘How do we prevent this from happening in the future?’ Fire safety education is the answer. Maintaining smoke detectors and practicing exit drills in the home will provide a measure of safety. Also, maintaining a fire-safe home and adopting fire-safe practices can prevent fires.
“However, the best way to ensure that you and your family are safe is to have a residential sprinkler system in your home. A fire will more than double in size for every minute it burns free. The activation of one or two sprinkler heads has proven to be effective in controlling a fire in its early stages. The best fire department with the best trained personnel and the best state-of-the-art equipment cannot respond as quickly as a residential sprinkler system. We recognize that it is costly for owners of existing homes to install residential sprinkler systems, and in these economic times, it may not be realistic for many. However, we urge communities to adopt residential sprinkler requirements for newly constructed homes. And in the absence of these codes, we remind new homeowners that they can voluntarily install these systems.”
