Months of investigation into a deadly Howard house fire have ended with a grim conclusion: gasoline containers stored inside the home produced vapors that ignited in a small explosion and fueled the blaze that killed twin sisters Haley and Kayla Fritsch. When firefighters arrived at the Rockwell Road house in November, the structure was already fully engulfed, and both women were pronounced dead at the scene. Neighbors later told reporters they heard a loud boom just before emergency calls started coming in.
Investigation Points To Gasoline Containers
According to WBAY, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office reported that three damaged gasoline containers were found inside the Rockwell Road home and had been stored in a manner investigators called unsafe, introducing "ignitable vapors" into the living space. Investigators concluded those vapors ignited in what they described as a low-order explosion that triggered the fire. After reviewing laboratory test results and conducting multiple interviews, the sheriff’s office closed its active investigation and did not allege criminal conduct by a third party.
Chief: Lab Analysis And Interviews Back Finding
Howard Fire Chief Dennis Staeven said that interviews, evidence collection and laboratory analysis all pointed in the same direction. "The findings indicate that the fire was initiated by a low-order explosion caused by gasoline being introduced into the home, which produced ignitable vapors," Staeven wrote in a press release, as reported by NBC 26. NBC 26 also reported that Staeven said investigators were confident no other people were involved.
Who The Victims Were
The sisters were identified as 26-year-old Haley Ann Fritsch and Kayla Lynn Fritsch, according to earlier reporting by WBAY. The Brown County Medical Examiner confirmed their deaths, and multiple house pets also died in the fire. That November coverage described Howard Fire Rescue responding around 2:30 a.m., heavy damage throughout the home and assistance at the scene from state Division of Criminal Investigation specialists and the Brown County Arson Task Force during the origin and cause work.
Community Support And Fundraising
A GoFundMe created for Pat and Kelley Fritsch has raised roughly $27,230 as of the campaign’s latest update on GoFundMe. The online fundraiser, along with local vigils, has reflected an outpouring of support in the wake of the November blaze.
Storage Safety And Local Investigators
Fire-safety authorities note that gasoline vapors are especially dangerous because they can build up inside a home and reach ordinary ignition sources, with potentially deadly results. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns against storing gasoline indoors or in inappropriate containers, and guidance from the National Fire Protection Association stresses keeping gasoline only in approved cans and storing those containers outside living spaces rather than in basements or bedrooms. See safety information from the CPSC and NFPA.
The Brown County Fire Investigation Task Force, the local unit that investigates fatal or suspicious fires and handles origin and cause probes like this one, is described by Brown County. Officials said investigators were confident no other people were involved, as NBC 26 reported, and the county has released the scene to insurance investigators. The Howard community continues to mourn as family members, friends and first responders process the loss and officials emphasize basic fire-safety steps around flammable liquids.
