Improperly disposed cigarettes the cause of fatal Arvada house fire
Two people have died following a house fire near West 64th Ave and Lee St in Arvada on June 27.
Author: Janet Oravetz
August 2, 2018
ARVADA, CO — A 68-year-old man and his 95-year-old mother died after they were pulled from their burning home by firefighters last Friday morning, a spokesperson for Arvada Fire District said.
Crews responded to the home near West 64th Avenue and Lee Street around 4 a.m on June 27 after a neighbor called 911 because they smelled smoke through an open window.
The Jefferson County coroner identified the victims as Lorraine Cowan, 95, and Stephen Ringenberg, 68.
Investigators later determined that the fire originated in the basement of the home due to improper disposal of cigarettes in a bed, Arvada Fire District said on Twitter. It has been ruled accidental.
Cowan, 95, was taken to Lutheran Hospital for treatment, where she died from her injuries. Ringenberg, 68, was treated at the scene, but could not be saved.
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Posted Friday, July 27, 2018 9:51 am
Shanna Fortier
sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A mother and son are dead after a fire in Arvada the morning of July 27.
The call first came in to the Arvada Fire Protection District at 2:50 a.m. as a smell of smoke from a neighbor who was sleeping with their windows open.
When firefighters arrived on scene for the odor investigation they could not initially find smoke or a fire, and started investigating the area.
The fire was located nearby at a home on the corner of Lee Street and 64th Avenue.
According to Arvada Fire PIO Michelle Cherniske, crews went into the building and brought out two individuals. The mother was transported to the hospital where she died. Paramedics on scene performed CPR for 30 minutes on the son, but could not revive him.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office later identified the two as 95-year-old Lorraine Cowan and her 68-year-old son Stephen Ringenberg. Both resided at the house.
“It was a very difficult call for our fighters and the community,” Cherniske said. “The fact that we were able to get in the home and get them out is pretty remarkable because the call didn't come in as a structure fire.”
Cherniske said there was no smoke visible from the outside of the home.
According to investigators, the fire started in the basement. The cause was accidental due to improper disposal of cigarettes in the bed.
The last fatal fire in Arvada was the Robb Street fire in May 2016 that killed three individuals.