RICHMOND, Va. -- After Richmond Public Schools was dealt another fire devastation with the destruction of a bus depot, parents told the CBS 6 Problem Solvers they still had unanswered questions about the blaze that destroyed William Fox Elementary.
Fox father, Boz Boschen, looked through the shriveled hearts dangling from the fence surrounding the school Thursday afternoon, wondering if the love symbols his three children made for their school remain.
“They’re holding on. It’s been weathered," Boschen said. “It’s still raw to kind of come by here and see the building in the state that it's in.”
As Boschen saw images of a fire-engulfed RPS bus maintenance garage circulating social media Wednesday, he thought back to the night of February 11 when he helplessly watched Fox burn down.
"It was tough to see that. It felt eerily similar in that way and tragic to see a building lost that was a useful resource and part of our infrastructure to support students," he said.
It renewed concerns about what he called a "lack of transparency and communication" about the Fox fire investigation. Nearly five months since the blaze, and the Richmond Fire Department has not yet revealed a cause.
“Really, we've heard nothing," Boschen said. "I’d really like to hear what the status is of the fire reports and that investigation. What is the deadline that the Richmond Fire Department is holding itself to release that report?”
CBS 6 asked Richmond Fire on Thursday morning if it had an update on the status of its investigation and if it was typical for findings to take several months to release. A spokesperson did not respond as of Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, School Board Member Jonathan Young shared similar concerns but mentioned the report could be released soon.
“The truth is, it's been months and very little information has been released," he said. “That said, I do understand that perhaps, a report is imminent.”
That's not the first time school leaders expressed the investigation could be wrapped up soon. In March, RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras told the Fox PTA the fire report could be completed in late March or Early April.
"Chief Carter suggested to me that will probably be next week," Kamras said about the timeline for the investigation during the March meeting.
Young said he has no indication of what the report might contain but he did reference issues within the building in the days leading up to the fire.
"We do know that there was a rodent problem at Fox," he said. "We do know that there were problems relevant to rodents, i.e. mice, chewing through wiring."
Former president of the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association, Keith Johnson, not related to the Richmond Fire, gave CBS 6 insight into the process of a fire investigation.
He said investigators follow a standard procedure of scientific evidence collection to include interviews, examining the video, gathering physical evidence, and sending evidence to be tested in a lab.
"All of that takes an enormous amount of time to really come up with a cause. Oftentimes, if somebody witnesses a fire, let's say someone threw a cigarette butt into some mulch, that's pretty easy to determine. If they have video, that's pretty easy to determine. If they have a witness, that's pretty easy, but when there are no witnesses, there's no video, there's no real starting case, then it could take really an enormous amount of time," Johnson said.
Johnson said another factor that will come into play is the insurance company.
"They'll work in partnership and take the information from the investigation, but oftentimes, they may hire their own investigators to look at a cause of the fire," Johnson said. “Because they don't want to pay out a large sum of money without verifying the evidence themselves.”
RPS' insurance company, VAcorp, currently has an open claim into Fox. Young told CBS 6 that the school is insured for its full replacement cost which would be around $30 million.
"They're going to look at -- was there any negligence involved? Did somebody not do something they were supposed to do," Johnson said.
When asked if insurance investigators would consider faulty fire protection equipment, Johnson said yes.
A CBS 6 Problem Solvers Investigation discovered the fire alarm at Fox had three faults on it the night of the fire and wasn't reprogrammed with the correct number to dial out the alarm company.
“They're going to want to find out who's at fault," Johnson said.
CBS 6 also asked Young if he had concerns about the faulty fire alarm panels playing a role in the insurance investigation.
"I pray not," he responded. "I understand that our insurer was on site today and evaluating the remnants of the property and what transpired."
A spokesperson for VAcorp told CBS 6 he cannot comment on an open claim.
RPS initially said it did not believe alarm communication errors played a role in the outcome of the Fox fire.
Johnson said five months to complete an investigation is likely longer than the fire department would've liked but not unreasonable.
"I would say based on that loss and the size of that fire, it's not unusual," he said. "I think it really depends on what kind of evidence they collected right away."
An RPS spokesperson said he hoped the fire department, which has controlled Fox since the fire, would release the building to RPS Friday.
Once that happens, RPS can move forward with stabilizing the building and installing a roof over the top of the school which currently remains exposed to the elements.
"Any exposure to elements within a construction site area will always be a concern, which is why the Superintendent and School Board voted and approved the emergency procurement to expedite selection and construction," said RPS spokesperson, Matthew Stanley.
Meanwhile, Boschen said parents' patience has run thin.
“I’m sure everybody that lives around here wants to see more progress happening quicker," Boschen said.
