Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 22, 2006 Candle probably caused fatal fire By anita burke Mail Tribune A candle in a bedroom likely started a Medford duplex fire that killed a mother and son in the early morning hours of Nov. 14, officials said. Fire and police investigators spent more than five weeks working to determine the cause of the blaze that ripped through a duplex unit at 432 S. Columbus Ave. and killed Kathy Marie Davis, 37, and her son Tomas Aguilar-Valle Jr., 11. Davis' other son, Alberto Aguilar-Valle, 10, was critically burned in the fire. Her daughter Rosa Palomino, 13, and friend Marjanique Ashworth, 16, escaped without injuries. A crowd of neighbors gathered as the fire burned. "We had a lot of people to interview and two key witnesses were no longer with us," Medford police Lt. Tim George said. Advertisement Alberto's injuries also slowed the investigation as he spent weeks hospitalized at the Oregon Burn Center at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Deputy Fire Chief Larry Anderson said. A ventilator tube that helped Alberto breathe prevented him from speaking. For the first 11 days of his recovery, the boy wasn't even told his mother and brother had died, Anderson said. He was well enough for his sister, Rosa, also known as Rosie, to visit him Nov. 27. Two Medford police officers and a fire investigator interviewed him the next day, Nov. 28, Anderson said. Fire and police investigators met regularly to track the progress of the investigation. At the scorched rubble of the duplex, investigators tracked smoke damage and char patterns to trace the path of the fire back to a bedroom shared by the boys, Anderson said. They ruled out mechanical or electrical causes for the fire and determined it was human caused. They couldn't conclusively say whether the fire was accidental or deliberate. Investigators did a second round of interviews, but had to wait until Alberto was out of the hospital and settled into a foster home. The last interview with him was Monday, Anderson said. "He's sad and he remembers the fire," Anderson said. "His story has changed a lot, but that's typical for a 10-year-old who has been through a lot of trauma." Alberto told investigators that he and his brother were sleeping in the living room, something the boys often did, Anderson recounted. Alberto said he got up after everyone else was asleep and went into the bedroom to play a video game. Repeated interviews determined that a candle had been used that night in the room where the fire started, officials said. "At this time, there is no evidence or other information that this fire was anything but accidental," read the press release prepared by Medford police Thursday. "It was an exhausting process," George said. "We've done the best we could." Davis' sister, Donna Holland, said family members are coping as well as they can through the holidays. Rosie, and her cat, Dulce, who also escaped the fire, are living with her father and stepmother in Salem. Alberto, known as Poopie, is living with foster parents under the supervision of the state's Department of Human Services. Hearings on his permanent placement are set for next month, Holland said. Davis's older daughter, Killa (pronounced key-ya) Rodriguez, 17, didn't live at the duplex and is now staying with friends on the Oregon Coast, Holland said. "The kids are so sad, but I made sure they had support," Holland said. "I have support, too." She said Davis' employer, Harry and David, provided Christmas presents for the children. The family also has a benefit account, the Palomino and Aguilar Account, at Washington Mutual and donations can be made at any branch. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com