the occupant on the floor of a hallway. Crews initially reported signs of life, but medical personnel confirmed that the occupant was deceased after the body was moved outside. Crews then made their way down a stairwell to the basement and reported high temperatures but could find no signs of fire. Clutter in the basement was reported as reaching three-quarters of the way up the wall, with a narrow path for access. Following extinguishment of fire in the basement, crews performed a secondary search of the first floor and found no additional occupants. Investigators determined that the fire began in a basement bedroom at the rear of the residence. The blaze appeared to start high and burn down the fuel load. Investigators were unable to determined the cause of ignition. They indicated that there was no automatic detection equipment in the residence. The house was a single-story wood structure with a ground floor area of 900 square feet (84 square meters). The house and contents, which together were valued at $97,500, were a total loss. CONNECTICUT Smoking materials blamed for house fire that kills elderly woman An elderly woman with a mobility disability died in a late-night house fire that investigators say was ignited by discarded smoking materials. Firefighters were dispatched to the residence by a phone call from a passerby shortly before 10 p.m. Crews reported fire showing from a large picture window at the front of the house, with multiple police officers already at the scene. Crews learned that police units had kicked in a kitchen door at the rear of the residence and found the victim on the floor, unresponsive. Officers had removed the victim and begun resuscitation efforts, and fire department medical personnel provided additional assistance. The victim was transported to a local hospital and later succumbed to her injuries. N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL Firewatch_05.20_V2.indd 77 | 77 5/1/20 11:46 AMhttp://www.amerex-fire.com http://www.badgerfire.com http://www.buckeyef.com http://www.kidde.com http://halotron.com http://halotron.com http://NFPA.ORG/JOURNAL