Year after fire, cause still unclear

A year after three IU students died in an electrical fire, investigators have yet to announce the official cause of the spark igniting the deadly blaze.\n"I appreciate the (Bloomington Fire Department) for trying to save the boys. One did make it out alive," said Mary Habicht, whose son Nicholas, a 20-year-old sophomore, perished after dialing 911 on his cell phone. "This is something no parent should have to go through."\nBFD personnel, a few minutes after receiving an emergency call around 4:55 a.m., arrived at 719 N. Indiana Ave., May 22, 2004, to extinguish the fire, according to the May 24, 2004, Indiana Daily Student.\nRescue workers recovered four IU students from the blaze: Habicht and junior Joseph Alexander from their second-floor bedrooms, junior Jacob Surface from the living room and sole-survivor junior Paul Dayment from behind the closed door of his first-floor bedroom. \nMedical personnel pronounced Alexander and Surface, both 21, dead before 7 a.m. that morning. Lifeline helicopter transported Dayment and Habicht to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where doctors pronounced Habicht dead the following day. Dayment was released the following Tuesday. \nMonroe County Coroner David Toumey said the three students died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation. He said 11 fire-related Monroe County deaths occurred in 2004, an "all-time high" as far back as he can remember. Tourney estimated the total number of fire-related deaths as two or three in the last couple of years, having had none occur throughout the decade or so before. \n"At this stage we don't really have answers," said Bloomington resident Jerry Stasny of Stasny & Horn, an Indiana General Partnership and owners of the house that caught fire. "My heart goes out the families who lost lives there. They were a great group of young men. It's sad, the tragedy that befell them."\nStasny & Horn, also managed by Bloomington resident Doug Horn, own several residential rental properties throughout the city -- most of which are rented by students. Stasny said investigators, although little has changed since the initial investigation, are closer than ever to reeling in the official cause of the blaze. \nAccording to a May 24, 2004, Indiana Daily Student report, the State Fire Marshal's office claimed an accidental electrical fire began in the first floor living room -- where the three students plugged in many electrical appliances. BFD personnel responded to a similar electrical fire in Read Center March 3. Sparks from an overheated Xbox power cord is the reported cause of that small fire, according to the March 7, Indiana Daily Student story.\nMary said her son Nick and his two roommates had an Xbox plugged into an outlet in their living room. She shied away from making any connection, however, between the video game machine and the fire because she is awaiting the investigation results by insurance lawyers and private fire experts. \nThe BFD issued a winter warning to students about the potential fire hazard associated with prolonged Xbox use. Microsoft recalled all non-continental European-made Xbox power cords in mid-February manufactured on or before Oct. 23, 2003. \nStasny recommends landlords attend to rental issues straight away to provide their tenants with as much safety as possible. He recommends residents and students check their smoke detectors often, and report any issues they might have about the safety of their dwelling spaces.\nToumey recommends homeowners and apartment renters obtain carbon monoxide detectors, important and potential life-saving instruments not required by law, especially if their dwelling space utilizes a gas stove or gas heater. \nSigma Pi fraternity, of which Habicht was a member, has dedicated the second Saturday in September for "In Remembrance" -- a dedication ceremony for all sorority sisters and fraternity brothers who have died while attending IU. Sigma Pi also dedicated a bench in front of their house in Habicht's name and they have painted the Jordan Bridge twice over in his memory.\nMary said caring community members are hosting a golf outing in Greenwood, Aug. 20, to generate scholarship funds in the name of the three deceased students. She said a modest entry donation, to benefit BFD personnel, enables participation. Anyone is welcome to stop by for lunch.\nInterested participants and guests can call 317-888-9036 for more information.\n"I do appreciate all his friends and everything they've done for me, like calling me on Mother's Day," Mary said. "I visit the cemetery just about every day -- I find peace there. You just never think it's going to happen to you. Each day you live is a gift"