The Prosecutors – Episode 338: The Flora Fire — Tears in Heaven

Release Date: December 2, 2025
Hosts: Brett & Alice
Podcast: The Prosecutors (PodcastOne)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on one of Indiana's most heartbreaking and controversial unsolved cases: the 2016 Flora Fire, where four young girls—Kiana (11), Kiara (9), Cariel (7), and Keone (5)—tragically died in a house fire. Their mother, Galen Rose, was seriously injured but survived. Brett and Alice break down the initial investigation, discuss community grief, examine theories of arson, explore allegations of cover-up and negligence, and analyze the drawn-out civil suit and ongoing law enforcement efforts. The conversation scrutinizes whether this was truly a deliberate arson or a devastating accident exacerbated by landlord negligence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Family & The Night of the Fire

• Background on the Rose Family:
  • Galen Rose moved with her four daughters to a duplex in Flora, Indiana, seeking a fresh start. The girls quickly became active in their new community ([03:07]).
• The Fire (Nov 21, 2016):
  • Routine night; mother sleeps downstairs, girls in bunk beds upstairs.
  • Galen is awakened at 3am by the smell of smoke (not by a smoke detector, which is later significant).
  • The mother attempts to reach her daughters but is overwhelmed by smoke and flames and escapes to get help. The other tenants in the duplex escape unharmed ([04:39], [09:37]).
• First Responders' Actions:
  • Local officers and fire responders—including Officer Drew Yoder, who personally knew the family—desperately try to save the girls, repeatedly entering the burning home.
  • Both responders suffer injuries from smoke, and Yoder has to be forcibly pulled out before succumbing himself ([10:54]).

"Those girls were always outside on a nice day, dancing around. And the greatest thing is they would all stop, smile, and just wave as you passed by."
— Officer Yoder ([10:54])

2. Immediate Aftermath & Community Response

• The fire devastates the close-knit Flora community, which rallies around Galen with vigils and memorials while mourning the sudden loss ([13:00]).
• Galen suffers severe burns and is airlifted for care; the official cause of death for the children is asphyxiation from carbon monoxide and soot ([11:32]).

3. Investigation: Arson or Accident?

• Initial Fire Marshal Findings:
  • The fire's cause is originally ruled "undetermined," with speculation it began behind the refrigerator. Critically, the second-floor smoke detector had no batteries ([20:03]).
  • Landlord responsibility for smoke detectors is discussed; Galen alleges she complained about non-functioning safety features ([20:34]).
• Shift to Arson Theory:
  • In January 2017, authorities announce the fire was "incendiary" (i.e., intentionally set) based on purported accelerants found in multiple locations, prompting suspicions of arson ([22:10]).
  • However, later findings clarify accelerants were detected in only one room, weakening the arson narrative ([24:50]).
  • The investigation is marred by resignations of key personnel (the fire chief and investigators), escalating community suspicions of a possible cover-up due to apparent conflicts of interest ([24:50]–[31:31]).

"You have Ayers, he's the one who owns the rental company. ...You add in the fact that you didn't have the smoke detector, it wasn't properly functioning, ...maybe this is not as clear cut as we're being led to believe."
— Brett ([31:31])

4. Community Distrust and Racial Dynamics

• The case assumes racial and political overtones. The victims are Black, while local authorities, including firefighters and investigators, are white. The NAACP joins the case, and Indiana State Police publicly reject allegations of racial bias or a cover-up ([29:17]).

Memorable Moment:

"[Superintendent Doug Carter is] very passionate in saying that he is deeply insulted that anyone would suggest [race was a factor], and that this is a case that he desperately wants to solve..."
— Brett ([29:53])

5. The Civil Lawsuit

• Lawsuit by Galen Rose:
  • Galen files a federal wrongful death suit against landlord Josh Ayers, his partner, their holding company, and appliance manufacturers for negligence regarding smoke detectors, door locks, and faulty appliances ([34:14]).
• Defense Position:
  • Landlord argues that even if smoke detectors had worked, the (purportedly) arson-induced speed of the fire made rescue impossible ([38:51]).
• Procedural Delays & Justice Denied:
  • Legal process is agonizingly slow—settling only in 2023; meanwhile, the ruined house is finally demolished ([52:29], [54:46]).
• Legal Insight:
  • Brett and Alice reflect on systemic issues where civil cases drag on for years, making justice inaccessible to victims ([58:20]).

"Justice delayed is justice denied is entirely true. And we as a society need to spend more money on our justice system."
— Brett ([58:20])

6. Law Enforcement’s Controversial Tactics

• Letter to Galen Rose:
  • After filing suit, Galen receives a pointed letter from Indiana State Police demanding further interviews, hinting at drug activity and making veiled threats about prosecution unless she cooperates. The letter is perceived as revictimizing and intimidating ([40:26]–[45:36]).

"We have empathy for the difficult conversation that we are asking for, but it cannot be as difficult as what occurred to those little girls..."
— Brett reading ISP letter ([42:36])

• Alice’s Reaction:

  "No, no, no. You're not gonna invoke the death of her four daughters." ([42:36])

7. Forensic Uncertainties & Alternate Theories

• Arson Evidence Questioned:
  • A peer review by Indianapolis Fire Department in 2018 upholds the arson classification, but later civil depositions and expert testimonies reveal:
    • No concrete evidence of accelerants (canine alerts not confirmed in lab).
    • The possibility that a fire could have started accidentally (e.g., a cigarette or electrical failure).
    • Key expert (Virgin) testifies that the supposed path of “accelerant” is based solely on a neighbor’s 3am observation, not forensic proof ([61:46]–[66:23]).
    • Even the location of the fire’s origin (kitchen? porch?) and the unlocked back door remain in debate.
  • The only established fact: the lack of a working smoke detector directly contributed to the tragedy.

"This may very well have been an arson, but there's a lot of holes in this, right? ...I'm not convinced it's an arson."
— Brett ([66:46], [71:54])

8. Ongoing Status & Reflections

• Case Remains Unsolved:
  • FBI and Indiana State Police are still seeking tips. No suspects have ever been publicly named, although court filings hint at possible leads withheld from public view ([59:50], [61:46]).
• Comparison to Delphi Murders:
  • Notably, the Flora Fire precedes the infamous Delphi Murders by only weeks and falls within the same small county, but gains far less national attention—raising further discussions on race and media coverage ([11:32], [59:49]).

9. Broader Lessons & Fire Safety

• The episode closes with reminders of the emotional toll this case has taken on the community, the surviving mother, and the investigators. Brett and Alice stress vigilance on rental property safety and fire alarms for all listeners ([78:17]).

"Go check your smoke alarms... I don't know how to not set off my fire alarm when I make steak... It scares the bejesus out of my kids as it well should."
— Alice ([78:20])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the investigative process:

  "Arson is the kind of thing that people just do for no reason... But I will just tell you after looking at this and reading this, I'm not convinced it's an arson."
  — Brett ([70:35])

• On the limits of fire forensics:

  "Arson investigation... it's more of an art than a science. ...Every way that I asked the question, it could have been arson or totally accident."
  — Alice ([73:26], [73:51])

• On the human tragedy:

  "Those four girls died and not in their sleep. Unfortunately, no. ...Galen was trying so hard to get to them because she could hear them crying. And that's devastating."
  — Alice ([78:10])

Key Timestamps

• 03:07: Introduction to the Rose family and their move to Flora, Indiana
• 04:39: Night of the fire and Galen's desperate escape
• 09:37: First responders' attempts to save the girls
• 13:00: Community response and memorials
• 20:03: Initial investigation; lack of batteries in smoke detector
• 22:10: Fire ruled "incendiary"—accelerants found
• 24:50: Resignations, conflicts of interest, shift in arson findings
• 29:17: NAACP involvement and press conference on race
• 34:14: Galen's wrongful death civil suit
• 40:26: State Police's controversial letter to Galen
• 54:04: Settlement of lawsuit and demolition of fire site
• 59:50: Ongoing investigation and comparison to Delphi case
• 61:46: Civil suit filings revealing possible suspects
• 66:46: Doubts about arson theory; lack of definitive evidence
• 71:54: Alice and Brett openly express skepticism and hope for closure
• 78:20: Strong fire safety advice and show close

Conclusion

Brett and Alice present a comprehensive, compassionate, and deeply skeptical review of the Flora Fire tragedy. They contextualize the raw loss, highlight investigative missteps, and scrutinize both the arson theory and systemic negligence. The hosts ultimately question whether this was truly a case of arson, emphasizing that the one fact beyond dispute is the landlord's failure to provide working smoke detectors—a failure that proved catastrophic. The case stands as a haunting example of how tragedy, suspicion, and bureaucratic inertia can conspire to impede justice, leaving a community and a grieving mother with more questions than answers.

If you have information related to the Flora Fire, contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).

For additional resources, discovery documents, and expert testimony referenced in the episode, visit the Prosecutors podcast website.