OAK VIEW : Fire at Black Family’s Home Ruled Accident
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has closed its investigation into an Oak View fire that destroyed a black family’s home earlier this month, concluding that the blaze was accidental and not sparked by a firebomb.
Fire investigators said last week that the blaze was caused by a smoldering cigarette, but sheriff’s detectives continued to interview witnesses because family members were adamant that a crime had occurred.
“We just wanted to be very thorough because the family initially believed it was a hate crime,†said Lt. Craig Husband of the sheriff’s Major Crimes Division.
Husband said authorities could find “absolutely nothing†to support the witnesses’ claims.
The Sheriff’s Department became involved in the fire investigation immediately after the pre-dawn blaze occurred on June 7 because there was a suspicion that it could have been caused by arson.
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