Cigarette may be cause of fire where man was found dead

Posted 12/19/13

A cigarette is being investigated by police as the possible source of an apartment fire where a man in his 60s was found dead early Tuesday morning. A fire alarm sounded at 2:15 a.m. bringing …

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Cigarette may be cause of fire where man was found dead

Posted

A cigarette is being investigated by police as the possible source of an apartment fire where a man in his 60s was found dead early Tuesday morning. A fire alarm sounded at 2:15 a.m. bringing firefighters to Sparrows Point II on Cowesett Road.

Capt. Robert Nelson said yesterday that the man, whose identify has not been released, was found deceased sitting on a couch. As there was cigarette ash at the scene, it is believed a lit cigarette caused the fire. But, as Nelson pointed out, the cause of death won’t be known until determined by the state Medical Examiner.

“There could have been some contributing medical situation,” Nelson explained.

Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Cooley said yesterday afternoon that the State Fire Marshal is investigating the fire and would have a ruling on the cause.

“We are not speculating on the cause of the fire,” he said.

Mayor Scott Avedisian praised firefighters responding to the complex of elderly and handicapped tenants. Avedisian pointed out that the fire was contained to the single unit and that tenants were gathered in a community room, rather than being forced outside. He said tenants were able to return to their units in about an hour.

Cooley said although the fire was contained to a single unit, firefighters took the precaution of having tenants congregate at a common room in the building while fire personnel cleared smoke and monitored for carbon monoxide.

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