Attica nursing home fire update

ATTICA, Ind. (WLFI) - A fire that broke out early in the morning June 9 at Woodland Manor Nursing Home in Attica has many wondering what happened. According to Attica Fire Chief Ed O'Farrell the fire is still under investigation.

"The thing we couldn't eliminate clearly was the electrical components and our fingers are still pointing that way but until we hear something back from the insurance company that they'll tell us what actually caused the fire," O'Farrell said.

While the reason for the fire is still unknown, Chief O'Ferrall says, without a doubt, the fire started in a reclining chair.

O'Farrell said the chair had electrical components but the chair was not plugged into a power source making the cause of the fire even more difficult to pinpoint.

"The burn pattern on the wall, behind the chair, and on the floor under the chair are clear. There were no other burn patterns like it and this was like an arrow when you walk into the room pointing to where the fire started," O'Farrell said.

Nursing home officials say they won't know an official cause of fire from the insurance company in charge of the investigation for another couple of weeks but said Woodland Manor is on the road to recovery.

"We were able to move most of our residents back in that Tuesday evening after the fire and a few more on Wednesday morning," Nursing Manager at Woodland Manor Nursing Home Lisa Gustus said. "So currently we have just three residents that are out of our facilities and then one gentleman is still in the hospital."

Gustus said the patient that is still in the hospital is expected to make a full recovery and return to the nursing home later this week.