Fire claims Burlington man’s life
Published 10:14am Thursday, April 23, 2009BURLINGTON — A fire Wednesday night in Burlington has claimed the life of an elderly Burlington man.
The State Fire Marshal’s office has been called in to help investigate that one. Firefighters were out all night, literally, when a second residence caught fire at 1 a.m. this morning.
According to information from the fire marshal’s office, the firefighters were called to a mobile home at 8418 County Road 1 just before 8 p.m.
The body of the man, whose name has not yet been released, was found in the kitchen.
Authorities believe the fire started in the kitchen near the stove, however, the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
Burlington-Fayette Capt. John Whitley said damage to the mobile home was severe.
According to the state agency, while there are no indications of criminal intent, a final determination won’t be made until after additional interviews are conducted and the autopsy is completed.
Investigators found a smoke detector, but it is not known at this time if it was working.
The Lawrence County Sheriff and the Burlington – Fayette Township Fire Department are assisting in the investigation. Whitley said his department received mutual aid from Chesapeake and South Point departments.
The second fire destroyed a house at the intersection of County Road 1 and Division Street. Whitley said he did not think anyone was home at the time of the fire.
The cause of this blaze is also under investigation. South Point and Chesapeake fire departments provided mutual aid for this fire as well.
