Traverse City Record-Eagle

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January 1, 2010

Cause of fatal Christmas fire not known

Structure was damaged too severely to tell

BY alex piazza

Traverse City -- Closure can't come soon enough for Tom Wright.

His mother, Nancy, 76, and sister, Tammy, 56, died Christmas morning after fire destroyed their home on High Lake in East Bay Township. The blaze broke out just hours after they hosted a family holiday party.

"I think we're still kind of numb from this thing," he said. "We haven't comprehended that it's happened. And we can't get closure until we comprehend what happened. It might be some time before that happens."

Wright may never know what caused the fire that killed his mother and sister after officials closed their investigation on Thursday.

Investigators determined the deadly fire originated near the family's wood-burning stove, but its origin will remain a mystery.

"There's really no more we could do there," said Grand Traverse Metro Fire Chief Pat Parker. "We wish we could've come up with a cause, but there were so many things destroyed."

The decision to close the case comes after a week-long probe. Investigators brushed away snow and examined burn patterns throughout the week at 376 High View Road.

Wright said he didn't expect to receive a real sense of clarity because he knew investigators would never determine the fire's cause.

"Just look at it. There's nothing there," he said.

But Wright questions whether the fire indeed originated with the wood stove.

"I'm not an investigator, but from what I see of it, that part hadn't burned like the rest of the house," he said. "It just doesn't seem like it started there."

Wright contends a lamp located near the stove could have caused an electrical fire.

A memorial service for both victims will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Cherryland Post 2780 in Traverse City. Tracie Jefferson, a family friend, plans to organize a luncheon following the memorial service.

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