
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 6, 1995                   TAG: 9501060102
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LIGHTER STARTED APARTMENT-COMPLEX FIRE, MARSHAL SAYS

Monday's fire at Valley View Village apartment complex was caused by misuse of a butane lighter, probably by a child, a Roanoke fire official said Thursday.

But the child was not necessarily the 11-year-old girl who authorities earlier had said started the blaze while playing with matches, Assistant Fire Marshal Bob Meyer said.

"At this time, I wouldn't know for sure who it would be," Meyer said. "There were several children in the house."

The apartment where the fire started was occupied by a grandmother and several of her grandchildren, including the 11-year-old and a 5-year-old, Meyer said. Other children could have been in the apartment as well, because the grandmother "did some baby-sitting," he said.

"So exactly who was there, I don't know," Meyer said.

The fire at the 102-unit complex near Crossroads Mall started around noon Monday and spread quickly from the family's second-floor apartment. Meyer said the fire, which started at the side of the grandmother's bed, has been ruled accidental.

Twenty-two people were injured. Most were treated at the scene; others were taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital and were released Monday night.

The 11-year-old girl is the only injured apartment resident still in the hospital. She suffered chest and facial burns and inhaled a large amount of smoke and has been transferred to Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley.

A hospital spokeswoman said Thursday that the child's family had asked that no information on her condition be released.

Eight families have not been able to return to their apartments because of extensive fire damage, but two of those families will move into the complex's only vacant apartments today, an apartment employee said.

Senad and Enisa Vugdalic and their two daughters, Anesa and Alisa, will be moving into one of the vacant apartments.

The family moved to Roanoke six months ago after losing their home and belongings in Bosnia, their war-ravaged homeland.

The family lost everything in Monday's fire.

by CNB