Based on the evidence, the State Fire Marshal said there was no recommendation that any criminal or administrative charges be filed against anyone.
The origin was determined to be in the area of the baseboard heater in tack room No. 93 of the barn where Ronnie Williams and James “Turtle” Edwards were sleeping, the report said. However, investigators were unable to rule out causes such as failure of the heater, combustibles in contact or too close to a heat source, discarded smoking materials or electrical causes, the report said.
Investigators said there was “no indication that the two victims used the tack room areas to live in.
Lebanon horseman Tony Todd said he doesn’t think things will ever be normal at the track again.
“You block it out of your mind and go on taking care of what you need to take care of,” Todd said. “Before the fire, everyone used to hang out at the track, but now they want to get done and get out of here. There’s some sadness because you don’t see the barn but you remember what happened, especially if you love horses.”
Todd and other horsemen criticize the track for taking away the roving night watchman at the track before the fire.
“That cost two lives and the horses,” he said.
“After the fire they have guards here. Now it’s too late.”
Drivers gathered in front of the grandstands in front of the race track Saturday night before the races started for a remembrance.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year, and it’s been a quick year,” Track manager Mel Hagemeyer said. “I hope this never happens again. There’s still a lot of scars to heal.”
With some of the insurance settlement money from the loss of the barn, Warren County, which owns the barns and the fairgrounds, built in July a new, smaller barn where Barn 16 once stood. Hagemeyer said the new structure is called Building G and is used for maintenance equipment storage and to show 4-H chicken and rabbit projects during the county fair.
He said, “‘16’ is gone for good.”
Since the fire, he said the track has doubled its security efforts and that the horsemen are more vigilant looking for possible problems.
Lebanon Fire Chief Mike Hannigan said “it was one of the most challenging fires we’ve dealt with because of the loss of humans and animals.” Since the fire, he said there have “been a significant amount of inspections” at the track by the Lebanon Division of Fire and the State Fire Marshal’s office.
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