South Railway fire deemed incendiary: fire marshal

Firefighters had first responded to a grass fire on the north side of Industrial Avenue that afternoon, shortly after 3:00 p.m. The flames were in the brush, and units from two stations were involved in putting out the fire.

However, while engaged in putting out the first fire, smoke was observed coming from an area further down the rail line, on the south side of the tracks in the area. A structure was on fire near Moritz Masonry and Tile Supply, located at 1006 South Railway Street.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Lance Purcell, both the abandoned structure and four to five vehicles went up in flames at the second scene, with investigators deeming the incident suspicious.

At the time, the fire department did not provide details as to why the investigators made that determination, due to the ongoing investigation.

Hanelt has now released those details, and told CHAT News that both factors at the scene of the fire and the rapid growth of the flames both led to suspicion on the part of investigators. He had a particular focus on the scrapped vehicles where the flames were believed to have started.

“When I came across these vehicles in question where I believe the fire originated, the cars hadn’t been driven in years,” said Hanelt.

“Most of the vehicles had part of the engine (and) batteries, removed from the vehicle. Right away, that takes away the vehicles potential for fire. There is no electrical arcing, sparking, mechanical wearing, hot surfaces. That takes the vehicle out of question.”

Hanelt believed that either smouldering or direct flame, applied to one of the vehicles, was the origin point of the blaze. A large amount of flammable material was also present in the scrapyard, with multiple sources of hydrocarbons making accelerant hard to pinpoint.

“You look for an X Y Z, but if you throw in an X Y W Z, something that’s not supposed to be there, then you’ve got a good source,” said Hanelt.

“But when you know hydrocarbons are going to be in that scene, it’s harder to say that this one is here and it shouldn’t be here.”

When asked for the possible reasoning behind the fire, Hanelt indicated the police would be the ones to figure that out.

“That could be a hundred different reasons,” said Hanelt.

“It could be for spite, it could be for revenge, it could be for vandalism, it could be for a hundred different things. That’s not what I do, my job is to determine origin and cause.”

He believes the police have leads on the matter, and will be presenting his report on the fire to officers in the near future. He also said there were no links to between the South Railway, and the recent fire at the historic Tweed House, which is currently being investigated as an arson.

“There is nothing right now that leads me to believe that,” said Hanelt.

There were no injuries in either fire. The Major Crimes investigation into the South Railway fire is ongoing.

by James Wood

South Railway fire deemed incendiary: fire marshal

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