Nine were found dead after a blaze near the Sunny Vistas Trailer Park, adjacent to Ramstetter Reservoir in Jefferson.
A canine house of horrors – a kennel suspected by authorities of hosting dog fighting and illegal breeding – was found burning on Thursday night and the deceased were not discovered until after the blaze was put out. A fire marshal inspecting the scene says it was possibly a faulty generator coupling to flood lights set up inside the barn that led to the fire. The widow of the landowner, Benjamin Green, had this to say about allegations her husband was illegally fighting dogs:
The woman that comes on screen looks distraught as she stands in front of her house in an oversized t-shirt and jeans. "My husband loved his animals and would never do anything to hurt them. It's disgusting that Jefferson police and animal control are bringing up the witch hunt they had out against him now that he's dead," before another figure, possible a relative, steps forward and pushes the cameraman off the front porch.
Benjamin Green's two cousins, nephew, the nephew's girlfriend and another woman are also suspected to have died in the blaze, having been seen together earlier that evening at a local watering hole. Three others were found crushed beneath the collapsed flood lights, though the doors were reported to have been locked when fire rescuers first tried to gain entrance. The names of some of the deceased have not been released as their remains have yet to be positively identified.
Coroners also report finding the remains of eleven dogs, with four strays being found wandering nearby by animal control personnel called to the scene.
[ Any investigation requests or rolls may be sent via FPM or discussed via AIM. ]
A canine house of horrors – a kennel suspected by authorities of hosting dog fighting and illegal breeding – was found burning on Thursday night and the deceased were not discovered until after the blaze was put out. A fire marshal inspecting the scene says it was possibly a faulty generator coupling to flood lights set up inside the barn that led to the fire. The widow of the landowner, Benjamin Green, had this to say about allegations her husband was illegally fighting dogs:
The woman that comes on screen looks distraught as she stands in front of her house in an oversized t-shirt and jeans. "My husband loved his animals and would never do anything to hurt them. It's disgusting that Jefferson police and animal control are bringing up the witch hunt they had out against him now that he's dead," before another figure, possible a relative, steps forward and pushes the cameraman off the front porch.
Benjamin Green's two cousins, nephew, the nephew's girlfriend and another woman are also suspected to have died in the blaze, having been seen together earlier that evening at a local watering hole. Three others were found crushed beneath the collapsed flood lights, though the doors were reported to have been locked when fire rescuers first tried to gain entrance. The names of some of the deceased have not been released as their remains have yet to be positively identified.
Coroners also report finding the remains of eleven dogs, with four strays being found wandering nearby by animal control personnel called to the scene.
[ Any investigation requests or rolls may be sent via FPM or discussed via AIM. ]