Man found dead in mobile home fire

Published 11:40 am Wednesday, September 27, 2023

An Ironton man was found dead when crews responded to a structure fire at an abandoned mobile home on Friday, the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office stated on Tuesday.

Following autopsy, the body was identified as Randy L. Newcomb, 42, who was believed to have family connections to the trailer, which had been reported as abandoned and uninhabitable

The coroner’s office stated that, on Friday, a 911 call was received reporting an active structure fire at the address of 31 Private Dr. 523, off County Road 22.

Email newsletter signup

Units from Upper Township Fire Department, Lawrence County EMS, and the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office responded to find a mobile home fully engulfed in flames. Once extinguished, during the overhaul process of the residual structure, firefighters unexpectedly discovered the remains of Newcomb.

It is not believed that there were working smoke detectors in the trailer.

Upon discovery, investigators from the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office and Ohio State Fire Marshall’s Office responded to the scene to begin investigation and recovery. The body was transported for autopsy at the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and further attempts at identification were initiated. Autopsy revealed evidence of prior orthopedic surgical hardware which was able to be linked to confirm the identity.

While foul play is not currently suspected, the case remains under investigation by both the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office and Fire Marshall to determine cause of death and cause of the blaze.