Report: Yelm man dies in propane stove fire
An 85-year-old Yelm man died in a propane fire last week, the Nisqually Valley News reports.
About 11:30 a.m. Jan. 18, fire crews were dispatched to the 17700 block of Vine Lane Southeast after reports of smoke emerging from a garage.
The man was home alone while his wife was away at a church event, according to the newspaper. The man’s neighbors called the fire department after they saw flames through a garage vent.
“When the fire department arrived, they were knocking on the door and didn’t get an answer at the door,” Thurston County Sheriff’s Lt. Cameron Simper told the newspaper. “Due to the smoke seen coming out of the garage, though, they were concerned and they forced entry into the residence and made entry into the garage.”
The fire originated from a propane fire pit, according to the newspaper.
“He was home alone in the garage and had a propane burn pit that he operated inside the garage that he would sit around out in the garage,” Simper said. “It appears that while he was lighting this propane stove that his clothing caught fire. He was unable to put the fire out.”
