Salem fire probe continues
By LARRY SHIELDSSALEM -The state fire marshal said it is still investigating the cause of fire on Prospect Street on Aug. 30.
Shane Cartmill, a spokesperson for the fire marshal's office State Fire Marshal investigators are still waiting on some additional information and plan to meet with the Columbiana County prosecutor as soon as that information becomes available.
The early morning fire made a total loss of the house at 885 Prospect St. with damages set at $41,800 for the property and $10,000 for the contents. The residence was being rented.
Three nearby homes received heat damage to vinyl siding including one at 885 Prospect St., 661 Prospect St. and one at 585 Granite St.
The fire apparently originated in the kitchen area and while no one was home, a dog died from smoke inhalation.
There had been a forced-entry burglary at the home a couple of weeks before the fire with money taken and police had responded to the residence seven times in the weeks preceding the fire.
Records show they were called to the residence on June 22 for a harassment call in which the complainant said her ex-boyfriend had been calling and harassing her for the past couple of weeks and she wanted to file charges. The report was sent to the prosecutor's office.
On June 26, police responded to the address for a male-female dispute and found it had been over the phone; on Aug. 7 police responded for a domestic dispute and noted signs of a physical altercation which both people denied; on Aug. 9 police responded and the complainant advised that when she came home at 4:30 a.m. her ex-boyfriend was on the front porch with no place to stay and she allowed him to stay the rest of the morning.
She awoke at 12:30 p.m. and found him gone and $500 was missing from her purse.
She thought he took it since she gets paid in cash on Saturdays. The report was sent to the prosecutor's office.
Then on Aug. 18, police responded for an altercation between two females in which one had allegedly been pushed off a porch railing and had red marks on her back.
Police were later called back to the residence as one female's boyfriend threw a log through a window and fled on foot. The report was forwarded to the county prosecutor.
On Aug. 30, police on patrol observed the house on fire at 3:37 am.
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
