OAKWOOD VILLAGE, Ohio — One week after an explosion at the I. Schumann & Co. plant led to the death of one employee and 13 other people injured, the State Fire Marshal has provided an update on its investigation.
In a release sent out on Monday, the State Fire Marshal's office says the cause of the explosion remains undetermined. However, after interviewing several witnesses, investigators do not believe the explosion was the result of a criminal act.
Investigators says the fire originated in the interior of the structure around furnace No. 5. The State Fire Marshal's office is hopeful that assistance from furnace experts in the mechanical and electrical fields will help in their determination of the cause of the explosion.
"It's the largest fire that I've ever had to handle ... and probably the largest one we've had in Oakwood in a very long time," Oakwood Village Fire Captain Brian DiRocco told reporters. Aid was requested for 14 outside departments from across Greater Cleveland and Akron, totaling roughly 60 additional firefighters.
The deceased victim was identified as 46-year-old North Ridgeville native Steve Mullins, a maintenance worker at the plant. A GoFundMe has been created to aid his family.
PHOTOS: Crews respond to explosion at Oakwood manufacturing plant
Two days after the explosion, a small plane carrying five environmental consultants crashed in Arkansas. All aboard the plane bound for Columbus, Ohio, were killed. The five people, including the pilot, worked for the consulting firm CTEH, based in Little Rock, and were heading to Oakwood Village to assist in the cleanup at I. Schumann & Co. The NTSB says a preliminary report on their findings should be released in about two weeks.