Investigation into upholstery business fire concludes with many questions still unanswered
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IDAHO FALLS — An investigation into the fire that destroyed a local business hasn’t provided many answers.
On June 2, an explosion was reported inside Terry & Sons Upholstery on Lindsay Boulevard that started a fire. Two people were injured and everything inside was destroyed. An investigation by the Idaho Falls Fire Department into the cause of the fire shows a great deal of uncertainty, including if there was even an explosion. Investigators determined there are several ways the fire could have started, but the ultimate cause is undetermined.
“In the fire origin area, there are multiple potentials that could have started the fire. We’ve investigated up to that point of the possibilities of what it could have been,” Idaho Falls Fire Marshal Scott Grimmett told EastIdahoNews.com.
He said investigators found multiple electrical appliances used for upholstery in the area where the fire started. The report shows that the fire could have been electrical and the result of an equipment malfunction. The fire also could have been intentional or it may have been accidental.
“We didn’t see anything that was out of the normal for their type of business. If we would have seen that, we would have contacted local law enforcement to investigate further,” Grimmett said.
Despite that, the investigative report does show that hypodermic needles were found at the scene and both people in the building at the time of the fire tested positive for methamphetamine while being treated at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. The report also said the air quality readings revealed high levels of toxic chemicals “adding to the concern for narcotic manufacturing.”
Grimmett said those air quality readings are used for safety purposes only and not for investigative purposes.
“We monitor the environment to make sure that we have enough oxygen, that the (carbon dioxide) is in normal range, that the volatile organic compounds are within normal range,” he said. “They’re not investigative tools to see what type of chemical is present. It’s just giving us the basic safety for our personnel.”
The report says nothing was confirmed regarding the initial concern of possible drug manufacturing before the investigation concluded on June 5. The Idaho Falls Police Department did not pursue a criminal investigation.
Grimmett explained the general procedure in investigating fires such as this is to determine the origin of the fire and possible causes. Then they work with insurance companies or private investigators to determine the exact cause of the fire if needed.
He said the owner did not have insurance on the building.
“We left it with the potentials that were in that area of origin and classified it as undetermined,” Grimmett said.
He said the reason they will often leave the cause of a fire as undetermined is due to safety concerns for the firefighters and investigators.
“Sometimes we wish we could spend a couple weeks or a couple months out there,” Grimmett said. “We have to weight the risk versus gain in the safety of our employees.”