Jurisdictional Issue Raised in Fatal Fire in El Cajon

A fire that killed two and injured five residents at a home for mentally handicapped adults occurred less than a block from a fire station that, because it was in a neighboring fire district, was technically prevented from responding to the blaze.

The Bostonia Fire Protection District station is about 100 yards from the board-and-care home, but Bostonia firefighters were prevented from battling the fire because the district does not have a mutual aid agreement with the El Cajon Fire Department.

Fire officials were closemouthed Friday about what role the Bostonia force actually played in extinguishing the fire, which was reported at 11:23 p.m. Thursday at the Linda Thurman Home, 1280 Clarendon St.

Although El Cajon firefighters arrived at the scene three minutes after the fire was reported, the Bostonia district station was just down the block from the burning structure. It took 27 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

El Cajon Fire Chief Art Melbourne said that the Bostonia firefighters gave what help they could and argued that even if they had attempted to put out the fire, the results would have been the same.

He declined to elaborate about how the Bostonia district firefighters helped, saying only that they “did what should be done” and that “somewhere along the way there was a misunderstanding.”

Noting the El Cajon Fire Department’s quick response time to the blaze, Melbourne said that “in my opinion, it would not have changed the overall outcome of the fire” if Bostonia firefighters had responded first. Melbourne declined to elaborate until the investigation of the fire is complete.

A firefighter at the Bostonia district said his chief was not available for comment and that district firefighters had been instructed not to comment about the fire.

Melbourne said Friday that the department’s investigators had not discovered the cause of the blaze that caused an estimated $85,000 damage. The facility was licensed by the Community Care Licensing Division of the state Department of Social Services and the investigation is being supervised by the state fire marshal’s office.

The coroner’s office identified the dead victims as Patty Ann Melton, 33, and Pietra Carrao, 47. Ramona Lowe, 45, was in critical condition, and Veronica Bashen, 31, and Terry Branch 34, were in serious condition Friday, all hospitalized for smoke inhalation, said UCSD Medical Center spokeswoman Pat JaCoby.

Mark and Debbie Buis, both 33 and married, were in critical condition in the hospital’s burn unit with second- and third degree-burns. The five hospitalized victims were transported by Life Flight.

Linda Thurman, the owner of the facility, was not available for comment.

Fire officials said that 14 residents, all of them mentally handicapped, were living at the facility. The survivors were transferred to an adjoining facility, also owned by Thurman.

Al Smith, spokesman for the Community Care Licensing Division, said that both facilities have a good record with the state. The license of the burned facility was due to expire in March. A renewal visit on Jan. 28 by state inspectors showed that everything was in order, including the building’s fire alarm system, said Smith.

“It’s a good provider and it has not been a problem facility,” said Smith.

Although the house was licensed to care for a maximum of 12 residents, Melbourne said that it housed 14 people on the night of the fire.