The cause of a fatal trailer fire at 354 Second Avenue in Galion on Nov. 18 will remain undetermined, according to an investigation from the State Fire Marshal’s office.
According to Lindsey Burnworth, spokesperson for the State Fire Marshal’s office, it is not uncommon for a case to stay undetermined if investigators cannot definitively determine the cause of a fire.
“Right now the case is going to stay open,” said Burnworth. “If something would come about they may change that, but most likely will stay undetermined.”
Lt. Todd Eagle of the Galion Fire Department explained in a Nov. 19 report that firefighters could pinpoint the general area where the fire began, in the bathroom area of the home.
“In the whole front half of the mobile home, there [was] a lot of smoke damage but no fire damage,” said Eagle on Nov. 19. “It burned out the back almost completely.”
An official report from the Galion Fire Department stated interior wall coverings contributed the most to the spreading of the flames, and high winds contributed to ignition. Chief Phil Jackson of the Galion Fire Department stated on Nov. 19 that while there was a kerosene heater in the trailer, it was absolutely not the cause.
The Nov. 18 fire claimed the lives of its three residents: 25-year-old Jordan Stewart, 5-year-old Conner Stewart, and 3-year-old Elizabeth Stewart. According to an official autopsy report from the Crawford County Coroner’s Office, “the deceased had expired due to inhalation of products of combustion due to fire.” It was noted there were no other injuries present on any of the three victims.
The Galion Fire Department report states both Jordan Stewart and Conner Stewart were deceased upon firefighters’ arrival at approximately 5:56 p.m. on Nov. 18. Firefighters removed Elizabeth Stewart from the fire and CPR was performed on her the entire time, though she was unresponsive.
Burnworth stated a case might remain undetermined for any size fire due to evidence being burned too badly to clarify a cause. She noted cases could remain open for years, if necessary.
“In general, we do origin investigations to see if there’s criminal activity,” said Burnworth. “We like to determine if it was something we can educate people on just to make sure we can do our jobs better and educate people better on the dangers of fire, or if something went wrong.”
According to the obituary from Snyder Funeral Home Richardson Davis Chapel in Galion, 25-year-old Jordan Stewart was a 2007 graduate of Upper Sandusky High School, an avid Xbox player, enjoyed hunting and especially fishing and was a big race fan. Five-year-old Conner Stewart liked bowling, dinosaurs, Hot Wheels and the Cleveland Browns, and was very protective of his younger sister. Three-year-old Elizabeth Stewart loved to cuddle, and loved to sing and dance.
