ATF: Cause of the fire that killed 2 York firefighters may be accidental
ATF agents look at a piece of debris Monday from the Weaver building fire that has been set aside and tagged. (Photo: Ted Czech, York Daily Record)
(York) — The ATF’s preliminary investigation points toward an accident causing last week’s fire at the Weaver building in York — in which two firefighters died — according to an agency official.
ATF spokeswoman Charlene Hennessy said Monday the unofficial conclusion had been reached through the leads that ATF agents had developed. At the site Monday, agents used heavy equipment to sift through the debris piece-by-piece, setting some aside for further examination.
“Now they’re clearing out the debris, looking for any electrical components, such as space heaters or anything that could have been potentially an accidental cause to the fire,” she said.
On Thursday, two York City firefighters, Zachary Anthony, 29, of York, and Ivan Flanscha, 50, of Red Lion, died when part of the old Weaver Organ and Piano building, ravaged by a fire that started Wednesday, collapsed. The two were the first York firefighters to die in the line of duty since 1971.
Firefighters location inside building
Hennessy said Anthony and Flanscha, along with two others who were injured, Assistant Chief Greg Altland, 52, and firefighter Erik Swanson, 50, were on the fourth floor of the building extinguishing remnants of the fire when the floor collapsed.
“They were fighting the fire on the fourth floor,” she said. “There were still hot-spots in the building and the firefighters were trying to mitigate them and the floor collapsed.”
Which agency investigates the deaths of Flanscha and Anthony is contingent upon what the ATF officially determines caused the fire, York City Police Interim Chief Troy Bankert said Monday.
“If it’s determined to be arson, the police department will investigate with the assistance of the ATF,” Bankert said. “If it is not criminal, the fire department does an internal investigation into the deaths of their employees.”
Hennessy said ATF investigators had an idea of the fire’s origin.
“It started near the center of the debris,” she said, motioning toward the rear of the building, where heavy machinery was working. “But it’s not been officially determined.”
As ATF agents examined evidence inside the fenced-in area Monday, they also continued to interview potential witnesses. About 1:40 p.m., a man on a bicycle, wearing a Miami Dolphins jacket, rode up the fence and called an agent over.
The man said he had been doing work inside the Weaver building prior to the fire. The agent then took the man to another area, and 20 minutes later, the man remained at the scene, talking with investigators.
Injured firefighters
York City Fire Chief David Michaels said Monday that Altland and Swanson were released from York Hospital late Friday and they both suffered cuts, bruises and soreness.
The families of Altland and Swanson are included as recipients in the GoFundMe account established after Thursday’s events.
Funeral arrangements
Phillip Given, chief of staff for York Mayor Michael Helfrich, said Monday that plans for the Wednesday public memorial service for Anthony and Flanscha were still being finalized.
He added that Flanscha’s funeral will be held at a private ceremony, while Anthony’s would be held Thursday at Freedom Valley Church in Gettysburg and is open to the public.
ATF investigators sift through the rubble, taking photos and examining details of the the Weaver Piano and Organ building fire in York Sunday. Two York city firefighters were killed after part of the building collapsed Thursday. Paul Kuehnel
How to help
Donations can be made to a GoFundMe page set up for the families of firefighters Ivan Flanscha and Zachary Anthony.
Check donations may be mailed to:
York Professional Firefighters, Local 627 IAFF
PO Box 5
York, PA 17405
Checks should be made out to “York Professional Firefighters, Local 627”
This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The York Daily Record.
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