DALTON —
An explosion and fire that killed two people in a Dalton apartment complex in August has been ruled accidental by the Dalton Fire Department.
Jeffrey Chad Nations, 34, of apartment 410 Underwood Court, died several days after the Aug. 22 explosion. His mother, Martha Sue Nations, 56, also of the residence, died in late September. Both were in the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta when they passed away.
The Dalton Housing Authority owns the apartments.
Chief Bruce Satterfield said in a release Friday that the fire was ruled “accidental in nature and was never considered a criminal investigation. There is no physical evidence of a natural gas explosion.”
Satterfield said the investigation concluded that the fire was “accidental (and) caused by a human act of an undetermined nature.”
Terry Hammontree, the brother of Martha Nations and uncle of Jeffrey Nations, said Friday he has “wondered” many times about what happened that day.
“I’ve been there (at the apartments) and looked and wondered about it,” he said. “I don’t know what went on there that afternoon.”
Asked if he agreed with the finding that the explosion and fire were accidental, he replied, “I don’t know, I don’t know. They’re the experts and should know, that’s why they make the money they’re making. It would ease my mind if I knew what happened — it could be a lot of things.
“It’s a sad tragedy, but we have to go on with our lives.”
Hammontree said the family has filed a lawsuit over the two deaths.
Genevieve Frazier of Rome represents the family. She did not return a call on Friday.
City Attorney Jim Bisson said Frazier “hasn’t filed (a suit) yet, but the ante litem notice has to be filed first (before that can happen).” The city, the housing authority and several other agencies received the ante litem notice in September informing them of the family’s intent to seek restitution for the deaths.
Satterfield said Friday that four separate entities — DFD investigators, the state fire marshal’s office, and private investigators hired by the housing authority and Frazier — spent time investigating the site.
“The private investigators did their investigations simultaneously,” he said. “They shared their findings, and we’re all in agreement on the ruling.”
Regarding a possible civil suit, Satterfield said, “I haven’t heard anything in awhile. There was an ante litem notice that was served to the city attorney’s office. I also responded to an open records request from the (Nations’) attorney. She requested our response to that fire and the operational procedures involved, and also 10 years of records in regard to the housing authority.”
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Official blast report statement
Dalton Fire Department Chief Bruce Satterfield released the following statement Friday regarding the August explosion and fire that killed two people at 410 Underwood Court, an apartment complex owned by the Dalton Housing Authority.
“The fire originated in apartment 410 and is ruled accidental in nature and was never considered a criminal investigation. There is no physical evidence of a natural gas explosion.
“Two events occurred at the incident:
1) Indisputable evidence reveals a fire originated and burned for a considerable length of time in the rear bedroom with the bedroom door in the closed position (Jeffrey Nations’ bedroom).
• All electrical sources of ignition have been eliminated by an independent electrical engineer.
• All interior gas appliances and interior gas lines have been eliminated as (a) source of the fire with exception of the water heater pilot light (uninvolved in fire).
• Dalton Utilities eliminated exterior gas leaks to the service meter.
• Analytical detection of ignitable liquids and carpet samples taken from the room of origin were negative.
2) After extensive burning at some point during the fire a smoke explosion or back draft occurred, blowing out one attic gable vent, apartment 410 windows, attic insulation and portions of the ceiling throughout the building.
“Cause of fire: Accidental fire caused by a human act of an undetermined nature.”
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