An unattended candle or incense stick burning in a room previously deemed a fire hazard is reportedly the cause of a four-alarm blaze at a Los Gatos home Sunday that led to the death of a Santa Clara County firefighter, Capt. Dennis Johnsen reports.
Fire investigators spent four "difficult" days combing through debris from the fire as part of a multi-agency investigation that included an electrical engineer from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Johnsen said.
ATF engineer John Allen was able to eliminate the possibility that electrical wiring caused the fire after speculation that parts of the home were built without a permit.
Intense heat from the 2:20 a.m. fire melted a 12,000-volt power line that stretched across the roof of the home located at 15700 Blossom Hill Road, Johnsen said.
The quarter-inch copper wire came to rest in a pine tree, dangling just two feet off the ground before Capt. Mark McCormack came into contact with the wire and was electrocuted.
The 36-year-old McCormack was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:15 a.m.
It was the first on-duty fatality in the 58-year history of the county fire department.
The fire is being considered accidental although criminal charges could be filed against the homeowners due to possible building code violations, Johnsen said.
The origin of the fire is in an open room used for prayer on the second floor of the home, Johnsen said.
A small shrine with an undetermined number of candles and incense was inside the room, as the family was apparently observing the Chinese New Year.
However the room had been red-tagged as a fire-hazard following a fire in November 2003 that originated in the same area.
Johnsen said when a portion of a home is red-tagged it is deemed uninhabitable, meaning residents are not allowed to occupy the room.
The only reason anyone should be inside the room is to perform construction or remove items.
Burning candles or using the room for prayer appears to be an obvious violation, according to Johnsen.
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