By Rick Pfeiffer
Investigators are sifting through the rubble of a Town of Niagara home, trying to determine what caused a fatal fire there Sunday night.
Theodore Smith, 59, 4172 Military Road, the resident of a lower, rear apartment in the house, was found dead in his bathroom after firefighters battled their way through flames and heavy smoke to find him. Results of an autopsy to determine the cause of Smith’s death were not available Monday night.
Town of Niagara Police Chief Jim Suitor said the blaze was spotted around 8:37 p.m. by a passer-by who called for help. When the first police officers arrived on the scene they found neighbors helping to evacuate residents of the home.
In all, eight people living in three apartments were taken out of the residence. The residents ranged in age from 16 to 70.
Volunteers from Niagara Active Fire Co., Lewiston #2 Fire Co., Frontier Fire Co. and Upper Mountain Fire Co. battled the blaze, which appeared to have started in Smith’s apartment. Police said there was “heavy smoke and flames” coming from the area of the apartment.
Rescuers said the “heavy fire conditions” in Smith’s apartment kept them from reaching him.
The New York State Police Forensic Investigation Unit is assisting town police in their search for the cause of the blaze. Suitor also said the town building inspectors were going through the fire-ravaged structure in an effort to see if there were any building code violations.
Specifically, Suitor said the inspectors were checking to make sure there were working smoke detectors in the home and that none of the emergency exits was blocked.
