MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The results from Horry County Fire Rescue’s investigation of the Windsor Green in April says a cause of the fire is undetermined.
Nearly two months after the fire in Carolina Forest burned an entire condominium building to the ground, Fire Investigator James Cyganiewicz says there was too much damage to determine what actually caused the blaze.
“From the facts gathered at the scene, my training and experience, witness statements, it is the opinion of this investigator that the origin of this fire was on the 2nd floor exterior breezeway in the area of the unit 201. Due to extensive damage and lack of physical evidence, the exact fire cause is undetermined. This fire has been classified as undetermined,” the Windsor Green fire report reads.
The report notes that on April 12 a three-alarm fire destroyed the Windsor Green building. Cyganiewicz spoke with several witnesses who conveyed what they saw the evening of the fire, with one witness describing two bird’s nests in the light fixtures in the breezeway. The woman told the fire investigators that at least one of the nests had been in the light fixture for about two weeks and she assumed it was ok for the nests to be there as maintenance crews had not removed it. The woman also told investigators there were nests in other buildings of the condo community.
Horry County Fire Rescue requested the maintenance crews at Windsor Green to check all buildings for bird’s nests “at first light” the morning following the fire. At 9:30 the next morning, the maintenance crew leader contacted fire officials to say a bird’s nest had been located within a light fixture in another building. Fire investigators went to the building and took photos of the nest within the light fixture prior to it being removed.
While at least one family has retained an attorney who claims the law firm’s independent investigation identified the bird’s nest overheating in the light fixture as the source of the fire, Horry County Fire Rescue’s investigators say “the exact source of the fire could not be determined.”
The Windsor Green fire sent seven people to the hospital, with four initially listed in critical condition