Arson was the cause of the Sunday morning fire which claimed five lives, said Steve Saltzman, captain of the Columbus Division of Fire, at yesterday’s press conference.

As a result of the finding, a homicide detective has been assigned to the case. However, the investigation team is having a difficult time trying to find clues.

Many witnesses are being contacted, said Mike McCann, a homicide detective. No suspect leads or motives have been determined.

As there are no witnesses for the case, officials don’t know what kind of charges future suspects may face.

“It is too premature to talk about what the charges will be,” Saltzman said.

Officials did say arson caused the fire at 64 E. 17th Ave., but they have not given out too many other details surrounding the fire.

A gas leak was ruled out by Columbia Gas, and it was determined that nothing was wrong with appliances in the house. A grill on the front porch has also been ruled out as a cause.

“It’s very early in this investigation,” McCann said.

Officials believe a fight, which broke out early in the morning during the party, had nothing to do with the cause of the fire.

“The fight was very minor,” McCann said. “We are not going to plant information.”

Lt. Mary Kerins of the Columbus Division of Police is calling on the community to provide information.

“No matter how small, we want it,” Kerins said.

The Ohio Blue Ribbon Arson Committee and Central Ohio Crime Stoppers (COCS) have each allocated $5,000 as rewards for information on this case.

Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook has authorized $5,000 to be given to COCS as well, accumulating the reward to $15,000.

The amount rewarded to an individual will depend on the amount of information provided and the timeliness of it, Kerins said.

“Many students are coming forward without that kind of incentive,” said Bill Hall, OSU vice president for Student Affairs.

Seventeen of the victims whose homes incurred damage from the fire are staying at The Blackwell Inn as their permanent living options are being worked out, Hall said. Many of those students whose homes are damaged do not want to return to their homes.

“They can’t psychologically deal with it at this time,” Hall said, referring to those victims who refused to go back to the site.

A fire victims assistance fund has been established for donations with Fifth Third Bank. The fund will allow gift certificates to be issued for the fire victims.