Fire victim identified
Published 11:05pm Saturday, April 25, 2009BURLINGTON — A fatal house fire Wednesday evening in Burlington was accidental, the state fire marshal’s office said Friday. The victim of the fire has been identified as Vernon A. Bennett, 66, according to information from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.
In a prepared statement, the fire marshal’s office said the fire at 8418 County Road 1 started in the kitchen and appears to be the result of the toaster igniting combustible materials. Bennett’s body was found in the kitchen near where the fire began, authorities said.
Investigators found a smoke detector, but the activation is unknown. The sheriff’s office and Burlington-Fayette Township Volunteer Fire Department are also involved in the investigation.
Meanwhile, authorities are continuing their probe of a house fire early Thursday at the intersection of County Road 1 and Division Street. The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation. No one was injured in that fire.
