BARNSTABLE, Mass. (AP) - Fire officials are saying the fire that killed an elderly man in Barnstable was accidental.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said Tuesday the fire in the large wooden frame house that killed 86-year-old Owen Duff Sr. Friday night was caused by an extension cord attached to an oil-filled space heater. The cord was pinched by furniture. Ostroskey says heat generating appliances should be plugged directly into an outlet.
Duff Sr., an accomplished pianist and businessman, suffered from asphyxiation from prolonged exposure to the flames and died at Cape Cod Hospital. Firefighters found Duff. Jr. unconscious by the front door of his home.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.