COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — What began as one family's heartbreak — losing everything in a house fire just days before Christmas — has grown into a months-long investigation uncovering electrical failures, missing inspection records, and a disconnect box that experts say was never meant for the job it was being used for.
The fire at a Taylor Landing home in Columbia was traced to the HVAC unit in the attic. That discovery prompted neighbors to come forward with their own alarming findings: burned and melted disconnect boxes and missing inspection records. When the state went back to reinspect homes in the neighborhood most failed.
Since our investigation began, more homes have been inspected, according to state officials. To date, 127 homes have been reinspected. Of those, 89 failed and only 38 passed — a failure rate that remains at 70%.
While builder Meritage Homes has continued to not answer NewsChannel5's questions, a neighbor in a different subdivision — Holland Ridge Townhomes in Lebanon — forwarded us an email from their property manager warning neighbors about the same HVAC issue there.
Back in Columbia, neighbors like Joshua Moore are still living with these problems.
"We also have a number of the disconnect boxes unfortunately burn up and catch fire," Moore said.
At least 6 more disconnect boxes melted in the Taylor Landing neighborhood during January's winter storm — after we started reporting on this issue.
After seeing our reporting, Mike Twitty — a licensed electrician and retired home and electrical code inspector with decades of experience on these types of boxes — reached out to thank us for bringing the issue to light. I sat down with Twitty to go deeper into what is happening at Taylor Landing.
"The failure point seems to be more in the pull out handle in the unit. It gets too hot, and it's held together with plastic, and the plastic melts down, and then they pretty much collapse," Twitty said.
We discovered the company that makes the boxes used in this neighborhood — Eaton — does not recommend using them for that purpose.
"Found a specification sheet that they put out that specifically states that they're not intended for use with resistive heating loads," Twitty said.
The State Fire Marshal's Office confirmed this in its press release, stating: "Per a product specification sheet dated July 2025, the Eaton Air Conditioner Disconnect box which has been found in some of the homes is not intended for resistive heating application use."
Eaton also confirmed this in an email: "This has been the case for some number of years; there's not been a major design change that would have changed this fact."
Twitty noted that warning is not visible on the box itself.
"They specifically said they were not for use for resistive heating applications, which they were being used for Taylor Landing," Twitty said.
Twitty and Moore alerted the state immediately. After filing a public records request, we found the State Fire Marshal's Office had begun sounding the alarm as well — emailing all electrical inspectors, sharing Twitty's findings, and sending a memo that read: "Effective Immediately ... this should be noted as a deficiency on the resulting inspection report."
The Fire Marshal's Office addressed why the boxes were not flagged sooner, saying in its press release: "Without the information from the manufacturer, our first inspection would not have included inspection of that component as we only look at the overall installation and do not inspect the actual device. Since being informed about the disconnect boxes, inspectors have been directed to not pass the HVAC inspection during safety inspections, if that component is used."
"Probably millions of these across the country being used because they are the cheapest off the shelf unit that's compliant for this application. And it's just imperative to get the word out that, particularly for the electric heat part, that they should not be used for that," Twitty said.
Our investigation also uncovered at least 88 electrical inspection records that were missing. The state has since opened an internal investigation into two electrical inspectors it contracted with.
In a press release, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office said:
As part of the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office commitment to protecting the lives and property of Tennesseans, we are continually looking for ways to improve our processes in order to offer better service.
In evaluating our work at Taylor Landing, we began an internal inquiry related to two private contractors utilized by the State as deputy electrical inspectors. While this ongoing internal inquiry is being conducted, inspections will no longer be assigned to these individuals.
Additionally, the State Fire Marshal's Office is committed to making the following immediate improvements:
- Creating greater accountability among department employees and contractors.
- Strengthening our internal audit system in order to prevent loss of necessary inspection paperwork.
- Evaluating the structure of the Electrical, Residential, and Marina division of the State Fire Marshal's Office, including the evaluation and oversight of contracted deputy inspectors in order to create greater accountability within this program.
- Fostering greater transparency between the Fire Marshal's Office and local municipalities in order to share inspection information with our teams and local inspectors.
We are in the midst of making these changes, which will take time. We are confident this will ultimately create a better organization that meets our mission: Protecting Tennesseans, Empowering Professionals.
Moore said he welcomes the action — but believes it is long overdue.
"I think it's a good outcome, that they're investigating the situation and that they're taking some kind of action I think should have been done long ago, but I'm happy that they're finally taking some action," Moore said.
"I just want people to be safe in their homes," Moore said.
Meritage Homes has not responded to our repeated requests for comment.
The SFMO also noted it is aware that consumer complaints have been filed with the state Board of Licensing Contractors, adding: "The Board will determine if the contractor violated any state statutes or regulations."
Romanoff Group, the electrical contractor for Meritage Homes, responded. In a statement from the company's senior vice president and general counsel, Romanoff said:
Safety is our top priority. The electrical work completed by Romanoff Electric in Taylor Landing was performed under permit, in accordance with applicable codes and project specifications, and passed all required inspections at the time it was installed.
We're aware of the concerns that have been raised and are reviewing information related to our scope of work. At this point, we have not been presented with evidence that Romanoff's work caused the issues described in recent reports.
That said, we understand homeowners want reassurance. In coordination with the builder and homeowners' association, we are participating in efforts to address concerns. In some homes, we are installing larger disconnect switches as a precautionary step to provide additional peace of mind. This additional work is also subject to municipal inspections upon completion. This is a proactive measure — not an admission of fault.
Our goal is simple: to be part of the solution and ensure residents feel confident in the safety of their homes. We remain committed to meeting all electrical codes and safety standards and will continue cooperating as this process moves forward.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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