INWOOD, W.Va. (AP) - A 62-year-old man died of injuries sustained in a house fire in West Virginia, the state fire marshal’s office said.
The man initially escaped the fire but went back to rescue his wife and pets, the agency said in a news release. He collapsed after exiting the home a second time and was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The fire happened Sunday in Inwood in Berkeley County. The man’s name was not released.
The fire was ruled accidental. Investigators determined it was the result of hazardous charging of lithium batteries and said there was no working smoke alarm in the home.
The batteries were on top of a water heater, which produces heat when in use, and they were plugged into a two-prong outlet, lacking the grounding prong, the release said.
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