Fire that killed 7 in Greene Co. started children’s bedroom
State police still don’t know what caused the fatal house fire that claimed the lives of a Greene County mother and six children in February, but revealed Thursday that they do not consider there to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the blaze.
According to the report released Thursday morning, the cause of the fire remains undetermined, pending laboratory reports. Trooper Shaun L. Jones, the investigating fire marshal, did determine, however, that the fire started in the children’s bedroom on the first floor of the Valley Farm Drive home in Franklin Township.
The fire, which started around 3 a.m., engulfed the 1 1/2-story wood frame home rented by Steve and Rebecca Eddy, killing Rebecca Eddy, 26, and her three daughters Tiffany Blake, 10, Rebecca Blake, 9, and Diamond Blake, 7. Also killed were three of Eddy’s nieces and nephews: Donna Jo Arthur, 5, Josh Arthur Jr., 3, and Christopher Arthur, 2.
The bodies of Josh Arthur Jr. and Christopher Arthur were found in a bedroom adjacent to the living room, where the bodies of Rebecca Blake, Diamond Blake and Donna Jo Arthur were found. Firefighters found Eddy, with the Tiffany Blake in her arms, in an upstairs bathroom.
Eddy’s husband, Steve, her brother, Robert Husner, her mother, Lucille Treat, and brother-in-law, Josh Arthur Sr., were inside when the fire started. All four escaped, although Steve Eddy was injured in the blaze.
The state police investigation had reportedly focused on space heaters used in the home because the home’s natural gas service had been shut off nearly two years ago.
Greene County Coroner Greg Rohanna ruled last week that the deaths of the six children and young mother were accidental.
Results from the autopsies conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht show the official cause of death for all seven victims to be acute carbon monoxide poisoning and severe extensive thermal injury.