Cause of fatal fire in Borden not known

Clark County

Discussion

July 12, 2009

BY SHEA VAN HOY The News and Tribune Sun Jul 12, 2009, 02:52 AM EDT

The cause of a fire in Borden which led to the death of 71-year-old Ruth Ann Riley is undetermined, a report from the Clark County Sheriff’s Department says.

An autopsy on Riley showed no foul play and that she died of smoke inhalation, Maj. Chuck Adams wrote in a summary of the report sent to the media Saturday.

Adams said the state fire marshal noted the house burned for too long for a cause to be determined and that the blaze started in an area of the house that was not occupied by Riley.

The report says the fire call came in at 1:58 a.m. Friday. The Borden-Wood Township Fire Department responded to the residence at 319 E. Main St. The address was originally was reported as 415 W. Main St.

Sheriff’s department officers arrived at 2:17 a.m. to find Borden-Wood firefighters already at the home attempting to contain the fire and that the house was “fully engulfed in flames,” the report says.

Several witnesses told police they had tried to enter the home to see if they could rescue anyone inside, but the flames were too hot and smoke too thick for them to proceed. Another person interviewed by police said that Riley’s home had recently been burglarized and that Riley had installed three dead-bolt locks on her door. The person told officers she feared Riley may have been unable to open the door because of the locks.

There are three buildings on the property at 319 E. Main St., the report says — the structure that burned and homes inhabited by two brothers, Mece and Arley Griffith. A witness said that Riley had dated each of the brothers “on and off,” the report says.

Mece Griffith confirmed to police that — following an argument earlier in the day — Arley Griffith had threatened him and Riley, but that he didn’t believe Arley started the fire.

Arley Griffith denied making the threats and police found no signs of foul play.

The report says that the Griffith brothers were intoxicated and that it was hard to gather information from them. Mece Griffith told police he “needed another beer before talking to this officer,” the report says.

The report also says a home at 419 E. Main St. sat close to Riley’s home and received some damage to its roof from flames. Officers checked that home, but found no one inside.