HomeMy WebLinkAboutFireFatalityCause-11-02-24
Contact: Marty Doll, Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-826-0396 • Fax 952-826-0389 • Web www.CityofEdina.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cigarette presumed cause of fatal Edina house fire
Edina, Minn., Feb. 28, 2011 – A report issued by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s
State Fire Marshal Division indicates that an unattended cigarette likely started the early morning
house fire that claimed the life of an Edina resident in December.
The report states that the fire, which began just before 1 a.m. on Dec. 14, originated near a sink in
the lower-level family room of a two-story home in the 7200 block of Lanham Lane.
Investigators believe the victim left an unattended, lit cigarette in the area, which eventually
ignited combustible materials. The fire then spread throughout the home, claiming the life of
one resident and forcing another to flee out a second-story window.
Fire investigators located the deceased victim under debris on the home’s main floor a few
hours after the fire was extinguished. The State Medical Examiner has listed the victim’s
official cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation and thermal
injuries.
“Careless smoking has historically been the No. 1 cause of fire deaths in Minnesota, and
nationwide,” said Edina Fire Marshal Tom Jenson. “Even today’s ‘fire-standard compliant’
cigarettes aren’t 100 percent safe. People need to use extreme caution when smoking. Our
recommendation is, if you need to smoke, smoke outside and use deep, sturdy ash trays.”
According to information available on the State Fire Marshal Division’s website, seven fire
deaths in Minnesota were related to careless smoking in 2010. The National Fire Protection
Agency notes that while smoking-related fires have declined in the last 30 years, the most
recent figures show that U.S. fire departments still responded to nearly 115,000 smoking-
related incidents resulting in 680 deaths in 2008.
Edina Fire Chief Marty Scheerer says the presence of working smoke alarms allowed one
resident in the home at the time of the fire to escape with only minor injuries.
“The loss of life in a fire is always tragic, especially when the cause is something as avoidable
as a lit cigarette,” said Scheerer. “We can be glad that a working smoke alarm saved one life
in this fire.”
For more information, visit www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or call 952-826-0330. Additional
information and statistics can be found at www.fire.state.mn.us.
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