PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A fire that killed two people and critically injured three others was caused by an electrical failure.
That's according to a fire report obtained by Fox 4.
The fire sparked at 157 Barre Drive on May 20 and investigators say eight people were living in the home.
According to the report, the fire started in the attic and the heat source was "electrical arcing."
While the material ignited could not be determined, a contributing factor cited was an "electrical failure, malfunction, other."
The two people who died suffered burn and smoke injuries. One person had injuries to their chest while the other had injuries to multiple body parts, the report said.
Fox 4 has reached out to fire officials about the status of the three people who were in critical condition.
Through public records, Fox 4 confirmed a history of code enforcement complaints at the home.
“It appears that maybe the house was a hoarders house, or something similar to that, there was a lot of debris in and outside of the house," Charlotte County Fire Marshall Scott Morris previously told Fox 4. "Also when you’re adding multiple people to the layer, trying to make sure you’re getting them out as well, it just adds to the stress of putting it out."
Code enforcement records for the property showed four abatements since 2019. The property also currently has a "Cease and Desist" in place, which allows code enforcement to inspect the property or clean it up whenever they choose.
The county got the order in 2022 and it would last five years. With the home destroyed, the county says it's working to file paperwork to demolish it.
However, it would not be done until the fire investigation is complete.
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