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No arson in fatal Randolph fire: Cause is ruled undetermined, may be related to smoking

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Mike Sever
May 8, 2009

 

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

State fire investigators said Thursday there was no evidence of arson or any other criminal activity in a fatal Randolph house fire on March 19.

The blaze at 1094 Aberagg Road claimed the lives of Record-Courier reporter Marci Piltz and her friend, David R. Smith, who was living at the house with homeowner Todd Bartlett. Bartlett was not home at the time of the fire.

The cause has been ruled as “undetermined” by state fire officials.

Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office said they did find evidence the fire may have been caused by “careless disposal of smoking materials” based on the homeowner’s statement that all three were smokers.

“There was nothing else, all other likely sources (of ignition) were eliminated” in the investigation, said Shane Cartmill, spokesman for the fire marshal.

Bartlett said there was no smoking in the home and that smoking was restricted to the garage or the screened porch where investigators said the fire originated. 

Piltz was a longtime friend of Smith’s and would visit him “3 to 4 times a week,” Bartlett told investigators.

The state fire marshal’s investigation said the fire spread from the porch to the inside of the home. There was no fire alarm in the home, according to the fire marshal’s report.

Smith, 37, was found in the hallway near the screened porch and the rear entrance of the home. Piltz, 30, was found inside a bedroom. Both died from smoke inhalation, according to information from the Summit County Medical Examiner. 

There was no evidence of trauma to either victim, Cartmill said.

The first alert to firefighters was a 911 call from a neighbor. Piltz made a 911 call moments later and told the dispatcher the house was on fire, that she could not get out and needed help.

Piltz was removed from the home by Randolph firefighters and pronounced dead at 4:08 p.m. at Akron City Hospital. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire marshal issued the ruling after receiving toxicology reports from the medical examiner. Final autopsy reports on Piltz and Smith are not yet available from the medical examiner or the Portage County Coroner.

Piltz was a Ravenna resident and a Kent State University graduate. She worked for the Record-Courier for eight years, covering the police and courts beat.

She was the mother of two young sons who are being cared for by the parents of her ex-husband.

 




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 5 Total Comments
5.
    Posted by Sydney May 12, 2009
I totally agree with you Tonya, adults don't die in a fire in the middle of the day! I thought for sure authorities would have looked more into this since it was Marci, but apparently I was wrong, what a shame, the black cloud still hangs low! I miss ya Marci, you know I would fight for you!

4.
    Posted by editor May 11, 2009
I thought about Marci and the boys, too, on Mother's Day. She was a great mother. This is all incredibly sad.

3.
    Posted by MARCISDAD May 11, 2009
I wonder what the boys would have got Marci for Mother's Day? All they have now are memories and sad dreams.

2.
    Posted by Tonya May 9, 2009
To me as a 38 year old adult, I find it kind of strange that 2 adult died in the middle of the day from a house fire. Does anyone else find that hard to swallow. To me there has to be more to this story, I feel for there families that only want answers to a situation that really makes no sense.When I had first heard about this was almost certain that this had to have been set or that something had happened to the two before the fire started. My heart goes out to these families and to those two young boy's that lost there mother,and hope this isn't another skim by don't work past 4:30 cause we need to get to the Pub for our drinks, Portage County court system.

1.
    Posted by darlenecameron May 8, 2009
I thought they, the fire marshall, found some line, as if it were started by someone. Can they not tell for sure or what?

I just miss her. And with NO answers, are grieving process will continue forever.

Darlene Cameron, Marci's cousin

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