Questions remain surrounding Howard explosion that killed twin sisters

Kayla and Haley Fritsch (Photo courtesy: Ryan Funeral Home/Victims' family)

HOWARD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Brown County Sheriff’s Office explained its conclusion on a deadly explosion that killed twin sisters in Howard last year.

On Monday, investigators determined Kayla and Haley Fritsch, 26, died in their Howard home on Nov. 6 as a result of “gasoline being introduced into the home.”

“During the investigation, fire investigators discovered three damaged gasoline containers in locations that were inconsistent with standard household storage practices,” the agencies wrote in a news release.

Investigators elaborated on their findings Tuesday.

Brown County detective Sgt. Jody Breider further explained, “So typical places you would store gas, a storage shed, a garage, there were three gas cans that were inside the residential portion that were inconsistent with where gas cans would normally be. Why they were there is speculative but they were inside the residence where people typically don’t store gas containers.”

Breider confirmed two gas cans were relatively close to one another inside the residence and the third can was either on the second floor of the home and collapsed to the basement or was in the basement.

He also said a portion of the gas would have had to have been poured out or spread in the areas of the home. Investigators are still not sure how the gas ignited.

Breider also said the sisters were together hours before the explosion and purchased empty gas cans at a local gas station and were seen on camera filling those gas cans.

The Fritsch sisters were the only ones home at the time of the explosion, investigators said. Authorities “are confident that no other people were involved in the incident.”

Breider confirmed there will be no criminal charges filed in the case, adding after talking with family and friends, he had no indication that the twins had any plan or intent to do harm to themselves or each other and it would be pure speculation to suggest it was suicide.

“I don’t think we will truly ever know what happened in that house because that’s between Kayla and Haley and nobody else,” Breider said.