Hours after the three-alarm blaze in Bristol Borough that damaged six homes and displaced about 12 people county fire officials announced their investigative findings of an August fire in Bristol Borough last month.
Bucks County Fire Marshal John Gundy said the cause of the first fire is “undetermined.”
The County Fire Marshal’s Department met with insurance investigators to determine the cause of the fire at 220 Buckley St. After compiling all the data, scene analysis and interviews, there was not enough sufficient data to determine the exact cause of the fire, he said.
Last week Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack said insurance company investigators are also looking into the cause and reason for the two fires.
About the second fire, Gundy said, “excessive storage conditions, age of the home and building construction may have contributed to the second fire” noting it was”accidental.”
The fires sparked concern and worry among residents who took to social media wondering aloud if an arsonist was at large. Two fires at one address within 18 hours of each other, one concerned citizen, is going to raise concerns. Additionally Two subsequent fires, one on September 15 and a second smaller fire on Sunday night.
Gundy, spoke to those concerns directly saying, “at this time the fire incident at this address is closed.”
Sadly that’s not true for one family.
Lower Bucks Source learned Tuesday the person transported for medical treatment, after the first fire, passed away days later.
Deborah Alford-Thompson said it was her mother, 79 year-old mother Louanne Finnerty.
She was a seamstress all her life and the fire started in her sewing room, Alford- Thompson said, adding that her mom just returned home after a stay in the hospital due a stroke.
“My mother was confined to a wheelchair she lived on the first floor of her house”
She lived there with her caregiver and his son, she said.
About the fire
“The caregiver’s son woke him up saying that there was smoke and a fire he tried to put it out and could not. So he and his son took my mother and the dogs out of the house. And called the fire department.”
“My mother was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, due to her being on oxygen and wheelchair bound, she added.
She died days later.
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