Teens Remain Held on Murder Charges in Fatal NY Blaze

Two Falls teens will remain in custody, pending likely grand jury action, after being charged in connection with a fatal July fire tied to the illegal use of fireworks.

Zachary Preisch, 18, and Damion Ellis, 18, were ordered held after a four-hour preliminary hearing. Each is charged with single counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their bail remains set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.

The fire, described at the time as a “roaring inferno,” destroyed three structures on the 1800 block of Niagara Street. It took the life of Ward Schaal, a second-floor tenant of the house where the fire started.

Fire officials said the first call for the blaze came in about 11:45 p.m. July 6. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the two-and-a-half-story, wood-frame house where Schaal lived “fully engulfed in flames.”

Neighbors told the firefighters that there was a person living on the second floor, but the firefighters were unable to reach him.

The fire trapped Schaal in his apartment as flames engulfed the house.

As the firefighters tried to control the flames, the fire began to spread to two nearby structures. Another two-and-a-half story, wood-frame dwelling and a commercial building with upstairs apartments were soon burning. It took firefighters more than an hour to gain control of the flames.

When demolition contractors arrived on the scene the next day, they were able to remove “heavy roof debris” and firefighters made the grim discovery of human remains.

Witnesses told arson investigators that illegal fireworks may have sparked the blaze. Neighbors, commenting on social media, repeated those claims.

Niagara County District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek has since confirmed the witness reports.

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