Fire Destroys Murray Home

Fire Destroys Murray Home


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Gene Kennedy reporting Residents in a Murray neighborhood say they heard an explosion just before flames engulfed a home late Tuesday night.

The fire re-kindled again this morning, but firefighters quickly put it out.

Fire Destroys Murray Home

What originally started the fire still remains a mystery. Fire investigators say they plan on interviewing the homeowner and a relative this afternoon to hopefully get more leads.

Lowell Barrows / Brother of Victim: "It's just a sad thing because it's been a special house for the whole family."

Lowell Barrows can't count how many times he's been to his brother's home for special occasions. Orlando and DeeAnn Barrows lived in the home, located near 6000 S.1000 East, for more than 30 years. They're now in their 60s with several kids who have now had their own kids. This home was made for them.

Fire Destroys Murray Home

Lowell Barrows / Brother of Victim: "It had a built-in trampoline, they had a fireman's pole from the second floor to the first, They had some gymnastic rings hanging from the ceiling."

A truly unique place now reduced to ash.

Fire Destroys Murray Home

Lowell Barrows / Brother of Victim: "I haven't seen anyone crying, but everybody feels bad about it. There is a lot of nostalgia connected with it because of so many family get-togethers"

Fire Destroys Murray Home

The only witness to last night's fire was family: A nephew who lives in a van in the family's driveway.

He heard what sounded like an explosion, then saw flames crawling up the home to the second story, then to the attic. Luckily, no one was inside the house.

Hours after the fire, investigators are still trying to understand what caused that so-called explosion.

Jesse Valenzuela, Murray Deputy Fire Marshal: "We have no evidence of anything exploding."

No barbeque on the porch, no propane tank, and no evidence of any kind of fuel to start the fire.

Jesse Valenzuela, Murray Deputy Fire Marshal: "We don't feel we have an accidental cause of anything there because we haven't found any evidence of anything accidental. The only witness to it was about 50 feet from it, and he wasn't in plain view of the origin of the fire."

Regarding the nephew living in the van:

Jesse Valenzuela, Murray Deputy Fire Marshal: "I want you to know he's very cooperative...everyone's been cooperative."

Investigators are hoping this afternoon's interviews will shed some light on a fire that is not being labeled "suspicious", but certainly has some suspicious circumstances surrounding it.

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