Nearly 18 months after Richmond’s April 2023 plastics fire, which led to evacuations and school closures, its cause has been deemed “undetermined.”
Indiana Department of Homeland Security officials told Western Wayne News on Oct. 4 that the decision was reached after a lengthy investigation and in partnership with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators and the Richmond Fire Department.
The investigation into the cause and origin of the fire in the 300 block of North West F Street is finalized unless additional evidence is discovered.
The origin was determined to be near a 20×20 area outside of a building near the center of the property, but what started the fire cannot be determined, said David Hosick, public information officer for IDHS.
When the evidence for a definitive ignition source cannot be found, the cause of the fire is undetermined, as outlined in National Fire Protection Association standards, he said.
Because the fire burned for a week and was soaked and flushed with a deluge of water during the attack, no trace evidence remained to indicate a potential cause, Hosick said.
Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office worked to determine the cause and origin, and any other ancillary issues related to the incident are not under the office’s jurisdiction, he noted.
The report is an investigative document and isn’t available for public release.
A version of this article appeared in the October 9 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.