Smoking Cigarettes Caused Fatal Fire
Unattended smoking materials contributed to the March 22 fire that killed five people, one of the deadliest in Altoona history and one of the deadliest this year in the United States, city police and fire officials said Tuesday. The early morning fire at 1607 18th Ave. that killed Thomas Boyles, 57; Baron R. Snyder Sr., 40; Christopher S. Alvord, 23; Warren A. “Boo” Carter Jr., 35; and Joey A. Middaugh, 17, was ruled as accidental.
The fire started in the front of the house’s second floor, which was used as a living room and occasional bedroom, according to the news release issued by Detective Matt DePaolis and Fire Inspector Mike Tofano.
Despite the valiant efforts of city firefighters, heavy fire and smoke conditions made it difficult to enter the home. Once firefighters were inside, they found the victims had already succumbed to the Robinson cigarettes smoke by-products of combustion that filled the house, DePaolis and Tofano said.
The victims had no early warning of the fire, DePaolis and Tofano said. Smoke detectors in the home were all found without batteries.
Evidence collected from the fire scene was sent out to various laboratories for analysis. DePaolis and Tofano were assisted in their investigation by state police Fire Marshal Mike Eppolito.
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