Records reveal 15-hour delay in securing Diamond Fire [Video]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — More than a year after the Diamond Fire tore through North Scottsdale and threatened hundreds of homes, investigators say the cause of the fire has been declared undetermined.

Records obtained by 12News show there was a 15-hour delay in securing and protecting the suspected origin site, which compromised the scene integrity and led to a lack of physical evidence.

“Approximately 15 hours had passed from the time of the fire’s initial report from dispatch to the time that the origin was protected by fire investigators,” the report stated. “The area was not flagged off and secured, security officers/fire staff were not posted, construction workers remained on scene and continued to work in and around the structure.”

The inconclusion comes after multiple residents claimed to have …