Nearly three weeks after an Annapolis mansion fire claimed six lives, significant gaps remain in the timeline of the tragedy released by Anne Arundel County officials.
That could change this week, when the county Fire Department plans to release more details about its response to the fire at the home of Don and Sandra Pyle. Capt. Russ Davies, a Fire Department spokesman, said many gaps will be filled in when firefighters finish their post-incident analysis, a report typically completed for fires that reach three alarms or greater.
"We will have a very comprehensive timeline," he said.
Here is the timeline so far, according to information provided by the Fire Department, alarm manufacturer Aegis Technologies Inc. and Security Alliance Command Center, which monitors alarm systems for Aegis:
•At an unspecified time in the early morning of Jan. 19, smoke alarms are triggered at the home in the 900 block of Childs Point Road.
•An alert is sent to Security Alliance in Richmond, Va. Typically, the alert is received 30 to 40 seconds after the alarm goes off, and an operator calls the home. If the homeowner doesn't answer within four rings, the operator alerts local authorities. Security Alliance has not detailed its response to the Pyles' smoke alarms.
•At 3:32 a.m., the county receives a 911 call from Security Alliance. The call is routed to the Fire Department, and the Security Alliance operator explains that smoke alarms have been triggered on the first and second floors, as well as in the basement. The operator says he has not reached the homeowners.
•A fire engine is dispatched to the home from the closest station, on Forest Drive. This is the standard response for a residential smoke alarm call.
•At 3:34 a.m., a neighbor calls 911 and reports the fire. The call-taker says the Fire Department is on the way.
•The response is upgraded to a "box alarm" for a house fire. In an area without fire hydrants, that includes four fire engines, two ladder trucks, two tanker trucks, a battalion chief and a paramedic unit. The equipment comes from five or six fire stations.
•The Forest Drive fire engine arrives, and the crew requests more equipment, quickly calling for a second and third alarm. The fire engine has about 750 gallons of water on board.
•Tanker trucks, which each carry 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water, set up a loop to bring water at the fire and refill at fire hydrants. The nearest hydrant is about three-quarters of a mile up Childs Point Road.
•At 3:41 a.m., a resident on the other side of the South River calls 911 and reports seeing the home on fire, as well as the flashing lights of emergency equipment.
•A fourth alarm is called about 30 minutes after the arrival of the first engine.
•At 7:05 a.m., the fire is brought under control. It is not fully extinguished until the next day.
In the following days, investigators recover the bodies of the Pyles and four of their grandchildren. They also pinpoint the fire's cause: a faulty electrical outlet that ignited nearby material, including a Christmas tree.
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