A house fire that left two divorced parents and their seven-year-old daughter dead on Tuesday has been deemed accidental.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue issued a news release on Friday saying that it had completed its investigation into the fire on Nicol Street where Jason Stephenson, his ex-wife Amberlee Scarr and their daughter Piper Stephenson were found dead.
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Investigators determined that the fire started as a result of an unattended candle, Fire Chief Karen Fry said at a Friday news conference.
The fire is believed to have started in the early morning hours. Investigators believe it was the type of fire that burns for a long period of time, cools down and then reignites.
Fry said it was likely spotted by passersby as it flared up again.
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Investigators found “nothing that proved that they had working smoke alarms,” Fry said.
“Candles are one of the leading causes of fires and they’re very dangerous,” she said. “We think they might be in a sealed container but they will burn down, or they might break the glass that they’re in.”
Fry added that 76 per cent of fire deaths are a result of non-functioning smoke alarms, and that people should be careful to replace them every 10 years.
Fry said that Jason, Amberlee and Piper were all well known within Nanaimo and involved in the community.
“Every time we lose a family or children, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.
“So we really were grieving with the family, with the community.”