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Greensboro Fire Officials Say Unattended Cooking Was Cause Of Deadly Apartment Fire

Screenshot courtesy of FOX8

Investigators say they've determined the cause of a fatal apartment fire in Greensboro. Five children died as a result of the blaze that broke out on Summit Avenue last weekend.

According to a press release, the fire started in the kitchen and has been ruled accidental.

“The City's Fire Marshal and Fire and Life Safety Division conducted their investigation using the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 921 guide, which sets the bar for scientific-based investigations into origins and causes of fires and explosions. After examining this fire scene, investigators determined the room of origin of the fire was the kitchen, with the area of origin being the range. Once the origin area was identified, the investigators narrowed the cause to unattended cooking and that the fire was accidental in nature.”

The names of the victims have not been released. The City Fire Marshall's office says the victims consisted of three boys and two girls, ranging in age from 18-months to nine years old. One adult was also injured, and later released from a local hospital.

Investigators say there were two fire alarms in the home that did not respond. The department is reviewing records and work orders from the property's landlord.  

 

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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