DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. - The official cause of the fire that took the life of Jane "Nikki" Engel in Desert Hot Springs in August was electrical in nature, Cal Fire has now disclosed.
Earlier we reported that Desert Hot Springs police ruled the death accidental.
The blaze was reported on Aug.4 in a single-family residence in the 9000 block of Calle de Vecinos.
No injuries were initially reported in connection with the blaze, but Desert Hot Springs police said that as firefighters were putting the fire out, Engel's body was found inside the home.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said the cause of death is listed as inhalation of products of combustion.
Engel,70, was a prolific volunteer who was known for her work with the Desert Hot Springs Women's Club to the Veterans of Foreign War.
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. - A woman and her dogs were found dead after a fire at a Desert Hot Springs home Thursday.
The blaze was reported at 8:39 a.m. in the single-family residence in the 9000 block of Calle de Vecinos, said Tawny Cabral of the Riverside County Fire Department.
No injuries were initially reported in connection with the blaze, but Desert Hot Springs police said Thursday afternoon that as firefighters were putting the fire out, a woman's body was found inside the home.
According to DHS PD Deputy Chief Jim Henson, police found a white adult female, deceased inside the home.
The Riverside County Coroners' office identified the woman as 70-year-old Jane Engel.
There were also some deceased dogs found in the home, Henson said.
Twenty firefighters got the flames under control by 9:40 a.m., Cabral said. There was no immediate word on what sparked the fire.
Henson said Desert Hot Springs police and Riverside County Fire investigators were working together to determine what caused the deaths and the fire.