Fire officials seek answers in building materials fire

UPDATE @ 1:43 p.m. (June 8)

Harrison Twp. fire Battalion Chief Terry Overman said a cause and origin in this fire has not been determined yet. He said the fire investigators are still hoping the owner will show up to help answer questions.

Overman said in order to put the fire out, the fire department had to use Bobcat equipment to tear the pile apart, which subsequently destroyed some physical evidence.

The investigation is ongoing.

FIRST REPORT (June 7)

A pile of construction and renovation materials found burned in Harrison Twp. has prompted an investigation by the Harrison Twp. Fire Department.

What was reported as a possible grass fire in the area of Pine Ridge Road and Forest Park Drive turned out to be cabinets, foam products and possibly refrigerator parts, “all the stuff that has come out of apartments they’ve been remodeling,” Battalion Chief Darrin Wiseman said.

Crews found different types of construction materials, packed together, burning for quite some time. Crews were dispatched sometime after 6 p.m.

“You name it and it’s probably in there,” Wiseman said. “All types of construction materials.”

Wiseman estimates the damage at $20,000 to start. This evening, a Bobcat front-loader was being used to break up the pile, which was still smouldering.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said, but firefighters suspect juveniles in the area. Investigators are interviewing people in the neighborhood for possible leads.

If you have information about the fire or any information that might help in the investigation, you are asked to call Montgomery County Regional Dispatch at 937-225-4357.

Click here to download our free mobile apps for breaking news and weather.