Waco deputy fire marshals say a fast-moving mobile home blaze that killed a mother and two small children in February was arson.
Waco Fire Marshal Kevin Vranich said authorities came to the conclusion that the Feb. 16 fire that swept through the home was intentionally set, in part, by ruling out all accidental causes of the blaze.
But police officials announced Tuesday they have closed their portion of the six-month investigation.
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Ashley Dawn Rogers, 27, and two of her children, 8-month-old Gage Megginson and 3-year-old Madisyn Marie Megginson, perished in the Bosqueville-area mobile home at 6312 N. 19th St., despite efforts by neighbors and firefighters to save the family.
The only survivor was then-2-year-old Kaiden Megginson, who was pulled to safety by a neighbor.
Pathologists at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences who performed autopsies on the victims determined they died of thermal burns and smoke inhalation, according to the reports. Their deaths were ruled by medical examiners as accidental, the documents state.
From the outset, the Waco police and fire departments ran a joint investigation, with police detectives focusing on the deaths of Rogers and the children, and deputy fire marshals studying the cause of the blaze.
But on Tuesday, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said detectives recently closed their investigation after exhausting all leads in the case and finding no criminal wrongdoing. In previous interviews, he said a trained canine had not found evidence of accelerants.
There were no smoke detectors found in the home, officials said.
“At this point, there’s nowhere else that we can go with it, pending additional information coming forth,” Swanton said. “We can always open it back up.”
Deputy fire marshals, who are licensed peace officers, will continue their investigation into the cause of the fire independently.
“We do have reason to believe it is an arson fire, and we are investigating it as an arson fire,” Vranich said.
He said he could not discuss additional details about the ongoing investigation.
Reached by phone late Tuesday afternoon, Tommy Megginson, the father of the children, said he remains focused on caring for his son, who was released to his custody several days after the fire.
The boy, who authorities said was treated in February for smoke inhalation and minor burns, cuts and bruises, is doing well, he said.
“They are loved and missed and still cherished,” Megginson said about Rogers and the children. “I still love them, even though they’re not here.”
