Mansion Fire: Two-Month-Old Tree Up in Flames After Plug Melts

The dried-out 15-foot Christmas tree that fueled a blaze that killed an Annapolis couple and four of their grandchildren was scheduled to have been taken down the day after the fire.

The detail is part of the extensive reconstruction of the Jan. 19 fire that authorities compiled in a 43-page report released Wednesday morning by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

Fire investigators agree the fire started under or near the tree in the house’s great room and spread in less than a minute to the second floor, where all the victims were sleeping. It was ruled an accident.

“Specifically, a probable high resistance connection inside the floor receptacle under the tree subsequently ignited the plastic sheet and/or decorative blanket/tree skirt, which in turn ignited the Christmas tree,” the report said.

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The investigation into the January fire that killed Don and Sandra Pyle and four of their grandchildren, who were staying overnight, including burning trees in a lab to see how quickly they burned and how much heat was generated. The family was trapped by smoke and flames when an electrical fire spread to a Christmas tree in the $4.2 million mansion in the 900 block of Childs Point Road that was destroyed by fire.

The home was owned by Reston IT exec Donald Pyle and his wife, Sandra Pyle. Donald Pyle was chief operating officer at ScienceLogic, according to the Post, an information technology company that monitors networks for private and government clients. The grandchildren killed were Alexis Boone, 8; Kaitlyn Boone, 7; Charlotte Boone, 8; and Wesley Boone, 6. The Boone children are the grandchildren of Sandra Pyle and the step-grandchildren of Don Pyle.

SEE ALSO:

• Victims in Mansion Fire Died from Smoke, Burns: Report
• UPDATE Relatives: Grandparents, Four Children Dead in Mansion Fire

The medical examiner ruled the family members died of smoke inhalation and burns in the accidental blaze.

Firefighters described the fire in the home’s foyer as a “kiln” and were unable to enter the house because of the intense heat and flames.

About five minutes after arriving at the house, the front door was completely consumed by fire, the great room was engulfed in fire and the roof was starting to collapse, the report says.

In the following days firefighters sifted through the rubble by hand to find the bodies of the family. Don Pyle was found in the great room near the Christmas tree, while his wife and grandchildren were found in second-floor bedrooms.

11/14/2014 - Fraser fir tree cut down from a tree farm in West Jefferson, NC

The large tree’s lights were left on around the clock, the report said, noting the tree was cut down two months before the fire. The Pyles both wanted to keep the tree in the great room longer because they felt like they hadn’t had a chance to enjoy it, although it was dropping needles and branches were drooping. The tree was scheduled to be removed on Jan. 20.

Officials Explain Tragedy

An electrical failure in the home’s great room ignited material in the area, which quickly spread to the 15-foot tall Christmas tree and furnishings. The sleeping area connected to the great room, blocking an exit for the home’s inhabitants, authorities said in January.

“Christmas trees, when they’re dry, they burn quickly,” said Arundel County Fire Chief Alan Graves.

The Christmas tree was cut more than 60 days before the fire, Graves said, and the fuel as it burned provided heat and a rapid spread of the blaze.

“Our collective hearts break for the tragedy you have to bear,” Graves said to the surviving family members.

Special agent in charge Bill McMullin with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said, “This fire was the result of a tragic accident that happened at the absolute worst time, when the Pyles and their grandkids were sleeping.”

»Fire scene photos from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department’s Facebook page; family members photos via screenshot from WBAL TV

Investigation Into Fatal Fire