An investigative report filed for USF&G Insurance Co. by Accident Reconstruction Analysis Inc. of Raleigh.

INSURED: WALL STREET INVESTMENT COMPANY
CLAIM NO.: 6500F265876-01-1 

TO: 

USF & G
3117 Poplarwood Court
Raleigh NC 27604
Attention : Steve Mangini 

FROM: 

ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS, INC.
5801 Lease Lane
Raleigh, NC 27613 

Prepared by: Michael A. Sutton, M.E., P.E.
January 8, 1997 

Personnel of Accident Reconstruction were asked to examine a house in Tabor City, North Carolina that was damaged by fire on 8/25/96. There was one fatality as a result of the fire. The structure was located at 101 Wall Street. The following report describes ARAI's investigation into the cause and origin of the fire. 

The residential structure was a two story house of wood construction with brick veneer and wood siding. For purposes of this report, the side of the house adjacent to Wall Street was assumed to face north. The large majority of the direct fire damage was confined to a second floor bedroom and closet, and the adjacent attic space in the northwest comer of the house. The double door closet at the south end of the bedroom showed the most severe fire damage, with floor level burn noted along the right side of the closet. The attic area and roof directly above the closet were also significantly damaged by the fire. 

The remainder of the second floor including the hallway, two additional bedrooms, and a bathroom showed minor fire damage. The bedding and footboard of the northeast bedroom on the second floor was burned, with the remainder of the room showing little fire damage. The cause of the burn to the bed, which appeared to be isolated from the rest of the fire, was not definitively determined. 

Based on the burn patterns, the origin of the fire was determined to be located in the closet of the northwest corner bedroom. The burn patterns showed that the fire started at floor level, at the right side of the closet. Damage to the wood panel walls showed the fire burned upwards, eventually penetrating the ceiling and header above the closet doors. The header above the doors was burned from the inside outwards, and similarly, the closet ceiling joists were burned from the bottom to the top. The double swinging doors were at least partially opened during the fire. The right closet door was burned more significantly than the left side door. The fire damage progressed from the closet into the bedroom in a typical "V" pattern. The remainder of the bedroom exhibited a lesser amount of fire damage as compared to the closet. It was noted that the bedroom door was closed during the fire, based on the burn patterns. 

The contents of the closet was examined, and a description of the contents of the closet was obtained from the occupant of the house (through an interview with a previous fire investigator). There were no possible ignition sources determined from the contents of the closet. 

There was an electrical outlet located on the back wall of the closet on the left hand side. There were no plugs in the outlet at the time of the fire. Inspection of the outlet and its associated wiring did not reveal any defects. The outlet was intact with the insulation remaining on the wires. The electrical outlet was not a possible ignition source of the fire. 

A two wire copper electrical conductor was noted in the attic over the left side of the closet. The insulation was consumed on the conductor in the area where the fire had penetrated the roof of the closet and involved the overhead attic area. The insulation on the wire was intact in areas away from the fire damaged region. One of the conductors was separated, with melted copper visible on one of the wires, away from the break. Examination of the break in the conductor showed fracture surfaces consistent with mechanical damage as opposed to melting. The break was located mid-span between ceiling joists. The broken wire was traced an found to be the phase conductor for the two wire set. The conductor ran from the overhead fixture in the bedroom over the closet area and to the second floor bathroom, and was part of the circuit that serviced the second floor. The fuse for this circuit was blown (inside fuse box). 

The conductor ran over the top of the ceiling joists, and the joist spaces were filled with insulation. Burn patterns to the ceiling joists near the conductor showed that they were burned from the bottom to the top, with the fire progressing from below the ceiling. In addition, close examination of the conductor showed that the phase and neutral wires contacted as a result of insulation damage cased by the fire. The conductor was not a possible ignition source for the fire. 

The wiring in the attic area, the inside fuse panel, and the outside breaker panel were examined. The were no problems found with the electrical system of the house that would have caused the fire. 

CONCLUSIONS

The conclusions listed below are based upon the foregoing report and are the opinion of the undersigned. 

1. The fire originated inside the closet of the second floor bedroom in the north west corner of the house. More specifically, the fire started on the floor at the right side of the closet. 

2. There were no possible sources of ignition found with the structure's electrical system or the contents of the closet. The cause of the fire was undetermined. 

Respectfully submitted, 

ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS, INC. 

[signed]
Michael A. Sutton, M.E., P.E. 

[signed]
Charles R. Manning, III, M.S., P.E.