The Riverside Fire Authority is investigating the cause of a residential structure fire that killed one person in the 300 block of Jones Road in Centralia on Sunday, March 22.
Ronald L. Teeter Sr., 84, of Centralia, has been identified by the Lewis County Coroner’s Office as the man who died in the fire.
In a Tuesday news release, Coroner Warren McLeod said the cause of death was asphyxia secondary to the inhalation of combustible material.
McLeod indicated the manner of death is “pending the fire investigator’s determination of the cause of the fire.”
According to the Riverside Fire Authority, emergency units responded to the 1,500-square-foot, ranch-style home shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday, where they faced heavy fire and smoke upon arrival.
Teeter was the home’s lone occupant, according to the agency. No other injuries were reported.
“The structure and its contents sustained significant fire and smoke damage,” the agency stated in a news release on Monday, March 23. “The cause of the fire remains under investigation.”
The agency reported mutual aid from the West Thurston Regional Fire Authority, the Chehalis Fire Department, Lewis County Fire District 6 and Lewis County Fire District 5.
“The Lewis County Chaplaincy and Lewis County Sheriff's Office also provided assistance,” the release stated.
