City Commissioner says more needs to be done following fatal fire in Dayton

City Commissioner Shenise Turner-Sloss spoke with News Center 7 Friday evening about the what the city can do stop something like this from ever happening again.

“We got to make sure that we’re pouring in the resources to our fire department, our police department, our housing inspection department,” she said. “We got to get more people on the ground that are doing the work. Not only doing the work, but making sure that we are providing the necessary resources.”

She said some of the money from the Dayton Recovery Plan will help address some of the issues.

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Turner-Sloss also said the fatal fire is a reminder of the number of vacant lots and blighted structures that are a risk to Dayton neighborhoods.

“Not only do they become hubs for illicit activity, but they pose a fire risk to neighboring, occupied structures,” said Turner-Sloss. “Vacant units contribute to the decline of our neighborhoods, remove units from the available housing stock, but also can increase the risk of lead exposure and maintenance costs during water shutoffs and reconnects.”

She added her heart hurts for the families of the victims and those who lost homes in the fire.

“The pain that they are experiencing from losing their loved one or losing their home is unimaginable,” said Turner-Sloss.

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Investigators have still not released the names of the five people found dead.

The flames of the fire were so intense that investigators may never be able figure out what sparked them, according to Dayton Fire Chief Jeff Lykins.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the DFD Fire Investigation Unit at 937-333-TIPS.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this developing story.