smoking in bed blamed for May 1 fire on Ashley Avenue
Investigators have determined that a fire that gutted a home at 364 Ashley Ave. was caused by smoking in bed.
Five people inside the home escaped unharmed from the blaze early Tuesday.
A firefighter suffered a minor back injury when debris fell on him while he was working inside the home after the fire had been put out.
Careless smoking by one of the occupants was found to be the cause of the fire, Charleston Fire Department spokesman Mark Ruppel said Thursday. He said no further investigation is planned, and no charges were contemplated.
Residents in the home were sleeping when one of them smelled smoke. They got out “just in time,” according to a neighbor, who did not give his name.
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