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Fatal Victoria fire investigation inconclusive

No hard evidence that fire started in a couch on the porch

Fire investigators can’t pinpoint what started a Feb. 16 fire which caused the death of three people.

But none of the surviving residents of the large character home at 1320 Johnson St. remember hearing smoke alarms sounding.

Investigators did confirm the fire began on the porch of the heritage home, but couldn’t say whether a couch fire from earlier in the evening was to blame.

The home’s older-style “balloon frame” construction meant the fire spread quickly to the upper level. The building had no fire-stops between floors, said fire Insp. Megan Sabell.

Emily Grace Morin, 20, Georgia Paige Klap, 22 and Mark Mitchell, 26 died as a result of the blaze.

dpalmer@vicnews.com