Investigators Use Controlled Burns To Probe Annapolis Mansion Fire

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)-- Fire investigators are trying to get a better understanding of how a mansion caught fire and took the lives of six family members -- including four children.

Investigators say a faulty electrical outlet caused a large Christmas tree to set the Annapolis home on fire in January.

The burns on three trees will be done at a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives laboratory in Beltsville on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

Special Agent Dave Cheplak, a spokesman for the ATF, told the AP that the burns are being done to gain a better understanding of how much heat a tree of that size can generate. He told the AP the results will end up in a report in a matter of weeks or months.

The Jan. 19 fire killed Don and Sandra Pyle and their four grandchildren.