Careless smoking is being blamed for a fire that resulted in the death of a 59-year-old man in Pottsville early Tuesday morning.
Pottsville Fire Chief Todd March said investigators determined the fire started in the bedroom of the second floor apartment at 324 E. Norwegian St. occupied by Thomas Maurice Howard.
Howard died at the scene and an autopsy later in the day revealed the cause of death to be smoke inhalation, Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Scott Clews said. He added that the manner of death was ruled accidental.
The chief said investigators found the fire originated in a bed in the apartment and was caused by a cigarette.
“The point of origin of the fire was in the bed, no where else,” March said. “We (investigators) eliminated all other possibilities.”
Firefighters were called to the apartment building at 2:44 a.m. and found heavy fire and smoke to the rear of the building.
It took firefighters, assisted by volunteers from Minersville, Port Carbon, Mar Lin, Englewood and Saint Clair, about an hour to bring the blaze under control, March said.
The chief said Terri Funk, 55, who lives in the first floor apartment below Howard, looked out her window and saw flames coming from the floor above her prompting her to call 911. Both Funk and her grandson, Bryce Funk, 12, were able to exit the building safely, March said.
Patty Daley with the American Red Cross Tri-County Chapter said families with a total of 10 people were displaced.
Three people were displaced from 324 E. Norwegian St. displaced were Terri and Bryce Funk and an occupant of the third floor apartment, Craig Moyer, 56.
In addition, Daley said residents inside 322 E. Norwegian St. displaced by the fire were Khaliah Muhammad, 24, and her mother, Brenda Everett, 52; Makedah Muhammad, 20; Julie Collins, 26, her boyfriend, Otis Crawford, 41, and children, Violet-Mae Crawford, 3, and Jewelz Crawford, 1.
Pottsville police fire investigator Patrolman Joseph Murton and state police fire marshal Trooper John F. Burns of the Frackville station, worked with Pottsville fire investigators in determining the cause of the blaze.
Pottsville police, Schuylkill EMS and the Schuylkill Haven Fire Department Rapid Intervention Team assisted at the scene, March said.