The search continues today at the ruins of an Annapolis mansion destroyed by fire after two bodies were pulled from the scene Wednesday. Officials continue to look for a cause of the devastating blaze, as well as to seek the remains of four others believed to have been in the home at the time of the fire.
The bodies were taken to the office of the chief medical examiner in Baltimore for autopsy and identification, said Capt. Russ Davies, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Investigators have not determined the identities of the two bodies pulled from the home.
Local businessman Don Pyle and his wife, Sandra, were owners of the home in the 900 block of Childs Point Road. While fire officials have declined to identify possible victims, they said relatives believe the couple and their four grandchildren were inside the home as it burned to the ground early Monday.
The family released a statement Thursday morning. The family asked for time and space to grieve, adding, "Life is fragile. Make time today to embrace your loved ones."
On Wednesday, a person at the home of the mother of two of the children declined to comment.
The remains of two bodies were recovered Wednesday from the Pyles' home, about a mile south of Forest Drive.
The couple and their four grandchildren — Wes, 6, Charlotte, 8, Katie, 7, and Lexi Boone, 8 — were reported missing immediately after the fire early Monday morning.
Lexi and Katie are the children of Randy and Stacey Boone. Charlotte and Wes are the children of Clint and Eve Boone. Randy and Clint Boone are sons of Sandra Pyle and stepsons of Don Pyle.
A number of factors contributed to the fire's devastation, officials said, including that the house didn't have sprinklers and its larger floor plan would allow fire to spread more quickly, fed by more oxygen.
Investigators were able to enter the remains of the 16,000-square-foot home for the first time Wednesday morning. Cadaver-sniffing dogs led them to the two bodies, Davies said.
The search resumed just after daybreak Thursday. In addition to manually moving debris, investigators are using a crane and other heavy equipment at the scene, Davies said.
Fire officials said there's no indication of foul play, but they are treating the site as a crime scene in case any evidence is ultimately needed in court. Davies said that practice is typical for investigations when "we don't know from the beginning whether they are accidental or intentional."
David Cheplak, spokesman for the Baltimore office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the his agency was called in by Anne Arundel officials "based on the size and the scope and based on the anticipated loss of life, and based on the suspected monetary damage."
Asked about the possibility of a criminal activity, Cheplak said, "That's not the reason we are there." But he added, "Nothing is being ruled out."
The ATF brought in canines capable of detecting accelerants and will use "forensic mapping," which will help investigators navigate the layout of the house. Cheplak said the process is similar to investigations the agency has conducted at church fires, though he said the mansion is much larger than many churches.
"The entire house collapsed on top of itself," Cheplak said. "All those metal I-beams are piled up in the basement. It is going to take a significant time to get the debris out of the way."
From, there, he said it's a matter of sifting though smaller pieces of debris by hand.
"The first step is trying to recover any decedent, and try to identify them as soon as possible," he said.
The recovery effort and investigation was expected to resume Thursday and could continue for days.
Tax records put the value of property — known to some in the community as "The Castle" — at $6.2 million. A representative of the law firm representing Pyles' insurance company said it was valued at $13.9 million.
County officials said sprinklers were not required by law when the house was built in 2005. In 2009, Anne Arundel adopted a measure mandating sprinklers in all new homes.
Bruce Bouch, a spokesman for the office of the state fire marshal, said had there been sprinklers in the Pyles' home, "we would've definitely had a different outcome to this fire."
All jurisdictions in the Baltimore region require sprinklers in new homes, and all new homes across the state will be required to have them starting in June, Bouch said. Retrofitting older homes isn't required, although Montgomery and Prince George's counties offer tax incentives for homeowners who put sprinkler systems in older homes.
Fire officials said firefighters arrived at the Pyle mansion about two minutes after they were alerted to the blaze by a private alarm company.
National Fire Protection Association spokesman Robert Duval said investigators will interview first responders and look at burn and smoke patterns to develop theories on where and how the blaze began. They will then begin ruling out theories.
Fatalities complicate investigations, he said, as investigators have to determine where and how fatalities occurred and whether the deceased were attempting to escape.
In addition to having open floor plans that allow for more oxygen to fuel a fire, Bouch said, large homes can have building materials that tend to ignite quicker than standard lumber, he said.
"A fire needs fuel, heat and oxygen," he said. "Without any one of those you don't have a fire."
Larry Wasson, founder of Affiliated Inspectors and a board member of the Maryland Association of Home Inspectors, said larger homes can present additional dangers for occupants in the event of the fire. Big houses can delay awareness of a fire and increase the risk of being isolated and trapped, he said.
"We're talking about a good-sized commercial building here," he said of the Pyle house.
As the investigation carried into its third day, hope that the family wasn't home during the catastrophic fire faded.
Even Wednesday, hours before the two bodies were found, County Executive Steve Schuh said he was "still praying that those who are unaccounted for will turn up in Ocean City enjoying a crab cake."
Dave Donovan, who considered Don Pyle a friend and business colleague, feared for the worst when he heard about the fire Monday and sent text and email messages to Pyle. "I kind of knew when I was sending it, it wasn't going to be good," he said.
Donovan, founder of Aequus Strategy Group in Great Falls, Va., played lacrosse with Pyle at Dulaney High School and later the University of Delaware. The two fell out of touch for years but reconnected seven years ago during a chance meeting at an airport.
Don Pyle is chief operating officer of Reston, Va.-based IT company ScienceLogic, which helps organizations monitor computer networks for efficiency, according to the firm's website. He and his wife hosted wine-tasting fundraisers for the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation at their home and also hosted parties celebrating the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens.
Donovan said his former teammate parlayed lessons learned in lacrosse into the business world, especially the value of building a team from individuals with different talents. Even with his financial success, Pyle remained a hard-working and affable person. He never flaunted his affluence, Donovan said.
"Don never changed. Don was the optimistic, get up in the morning, 'What can I get done today?' that he was when he was a kid, all the way throughout when he got the money," Donovan said.
Pyle doted on his grandchildren, Donovan said, and wrote in an email last June that he was looking forward to spending time over the summer fishing, boating and being a "manny" to the children.
"He was a tremendously generous family man," Donovan said.
Reporters Colin Campbell, Ben Weathers, Chase Cook and Erin Cox contributed to this article.