Union Avenue Fire Was Arson: Someone Started Blaze on Back Porch

By Natalie Neysa Alund, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Mar. 25–Fire marshals have determined that a Woodburn apartment fire that displaced eight WVU students was arson. “The investigation clearly shows that the fire was not an accident,” Morgantown Deputy Fire Marshal Ken Tennant said Friday. “Someone set the fire on the back porch.” The fire, which caused about $200,000 in damage, occurred sometime before 2:15 a.m. Tuesday at two apartments in one building — 731 and 733 Union Ave. — owned by BM Enterprises LLC out of Philadelphia. This cause of this fire is similar to one that occurred May 6, 2005, in Morgantown at the home of Michael Valenti — a WVU assistant professor of computer science and engineering. That arson has not been solved, and Assistant State Fire Marshal Ronald “Mackey” Ayersman said Friday that he cannot comment if the fires are related. Tennant said the Woodburn building fire started on the rear deck at 731 Union Ave. He would not say how officials determined the fire began, how the fire was started or if an accelerant was used. “All the particulars about it — I can’t get into that, because the case is in its initial stages,” he said. But he and Ayersman did say there are no suspects. The case was handed over to Morgantown Police Department on Friday. MPD Detective Eric Powell said that investigators received the case late Friday and plan to start looking into it Monday. Eight WVU students lived in the apartments and escaped the fire unharmed Tuesday morning. They are: J.D. McComas, 21; Jon Diamond, 21; Josh Gore, 21; Brent Meixsell, 23; Phil Matijevich, 20; Brent Schwartz, 21; and twins Nicholas and Alex Noechel, both 19. They are staying with friends until the end of the semester. BM Enterprises spokesman Bruno Mandarano said in a phone interview Friday that he is glad his tenants are safe. “That was my initial concern,” Mandarano said. “The issue is, who started this fire? Who would want to do something like this?” Riverview Drive fire In last year’s arson fire at the Valenti home, someone poured an ignitable liquid on the back of the house and porch while the Valentis were sleeping, and then set the fire, Ayersman said. The couple escaped without injury after their smoke alarm woke them. That fire caused $125,000 in damage. Ayersman said fire officials know what accelerant the arsonist used but are withholding that information. Citation update This week, Morgantown Fire Chief Dave Fetty said that he planned to cite BM Enterprises for overoccupancy. That citation carries a maximum fine of $1,000. Each of the apartments on Union Avenue has five bedrooms. City code permits up to five residents in each unit, but state fire code does not, Fetty said. Each apartment on Union Avenue housed more than three unrelated people, Fetty said, which makes it a lodging and rooming property according to state fire code. Lodging and rooming properties have additional fire code requirements. Mandarano said BM Enterprises was in compliance with city occupancy codes before the fire. “I’m not admitting to any guilt, because I did what I was told by the city,” he said. “We were in compliance with them. Mandarano said he was never informed about the state fire code. But he said he plans to comply with state fire code in that building.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

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