KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fire investigators have ruled the fire that claimed the life of a Linn County, Kansas, firefighter as he battled the blaze in a chiropractor’s office in Pleasanton, Kansas, to be an accident.
The ATF and Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office “concluded the on-scene portion of the investigation” and announced the finding Thursday.
“Investigators have determined that this was an accidental fire, so there is no ongoing criminal investigation,” an ATF spokesman said Friday via email.
ATF’s Fire Laboratory will conduct a full investigation and release more information about the cause after it's completed.
Joshua Haynes, a volunteer with the Linn County Rural District 1 Fire Department and father of four, was injured Monday while battling a fire at the Carpenter Chiropractic Health Center.
He was flown to the University of Kansas Hospital by air ambulance but died Wednesday from his injuries.
The fire, which also damaged an adjacent gym, was reported around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to the ATF.
The 35-year-old Haynes, who also raced at the Nevada (Missouri) Speedway, will be remembered at a memorial on Main Street in Pleasanton at 8:30 p.m. Friday.
A visitation has been scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, at Pleasanton High School, and Haynes will be laid to rest during a funeral at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 29, at the high school. Both events are open to the public.
Nevada Speedway plans to honor Haynes with a memorial ride during Saturday’s race.
