Sarnia

Cause Of Marthaville Rd. Fire Undetermined

The cause of a fatal house fire on Marthaville Rd. in January is going down as undetermined.

The early morning blaze at the rural Dawn-Euphemia home broke out around 2:30am January 29. The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office conducted a nine month investigation and wasn't able to pinpoint a cause.

Fire Investigation Specialist Steve Martin says due to the extent of the damage, the origin of the fire could only be isolated to the eastern addition of the home.

"Fire by its nature is very destructive, and I rely on patterns that are formed on walls and ceilings and furnishings as the fire develops," says Martin. "When the entire structure is destroyed, you can't isolate an origin and you can't speculate on what the cause might have been."

In April, the OPP identified the victims of the blaze as 54-year-old Cindy Lou Beyea and 61-year-old Malcom McKinnon, both of Dawn-Euphemia Township.

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