State Fire Marshal investigators continue to string together
the circumstances surrounding a Sunday morning fire that critically injured Jeremiah Owojori, 26, his wife, Ashley, 24, and their 5 year-old and 7-month-old sons, in the single bedroom of one of the duplex portions of
the structure.
Investigators were summoned to the scene after West Monroe firefighters responded to a structure fire at approximately 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning, located at 201 Coleman Street in West Monroe. The structure, an older home converted into a duplex, housed two families at the time of the fire.
The victims were removed from the home where resuscitation efforts were initiated. Jeremiah Owojori and his 7-month-old son were transported to an area hospital where they remain on life support. Ashley Owojori and their 5 year-old son were transported to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport where they remain in critical condition.
The occupants of the other portion of the duplex, which escaped unharmed, informed investigators that the structure lost electrical power at approximately 3:30 a.m. Jeremiah Owojori had notified a duplex maintenance worker at approximately 6:30 a.m. concerning the loss of electricity.
During the examination of the structure, investigators located 3 electrical junction boxes in the attic where a decades-old wiring system, known as “knob and tube,” had been connected to more modern Romex wiring.
Investigators have determined that the fire originated in close proximity to the junction boxes and it is suspected that faulty wiring led to the fire. There were no smoke alarms installed in either of the two units. The four of them eventually died.
