by Stan Mitchell

JONESBORO — FIRE alarms at a Jonesboro retirement home were working the night of a fatal blaze, the city’s FIRE marshal ruled Thursday.

FIRE Marshal Craig Davenport said he listened to a 911 call made by a worker at Rosehaven Retirement Home on Oct. 21.

“The FIRE alarms were definitely working,” Davenport said.

Earlier reports, including one from the worker who made the 911 call, claimed that the FIRE alarms failed to sound when they were pulled by the lone female worker at the home at 1400 Stone St.

“We don’t know why she said they weren’t working,” Davenport said. “We’re going to do some more interviews with people before our investigation is complete.”

Davenport said the worker made reference to the FIRE alarms starting to sound when she placed the recorded 911 call about 8:45 p.m.

“We looked at every possibility,” Davenport said. “It is obvious on the 911 tape that the alarms were working.”

Davenport added that he’s still investigating the FIRE’s cause.

“We’ve collected all the evidence we need to collect,” Davenport said. “We have turned the building back over to the owners,” Alan and Mary Hester of Jonesboro.

Although FIRE officials initially believed the FIRE started in the home’s laundry room, their investigation now focuses on the attic area, FIRE Chief Leonard Jadrich said earlier in the week.

When FIREfighters arrived, the blaze was coming through the roof, Jadrich said on the scene Oct. 21.

One resident, 61-year-old Roberta Aldridge, died during the FIRE. An autopsy revealed she died of smoke inhalation.

Sixteen other residents, who were oxygen patients, were transported to a hospital for observation. None was seriously injured, officials said.

Three Jonesboro patrolmen were treated for smoke inhalation and released from the hospital, police officials said.

The 24 residents were removed from the burning structure and were housed next door at the First Assembly of God. The residents were moved to a long-term care facility in Lake City, where most remain.

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