Grand Forks man found dead after ‘tragic accident,’ Mounties say

A man was found dead at the scene of a small fire on the city’s western outskirts Wednesday, Feb. 9, according to Grand Forks RCMP.

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Mounties and firefighters were called to the fire on the 3600-block of Mill Road shortly after 7:30 p.m. The deceased was a Grand Forks resident in his late 60s who breathed with the aide of bottled oxygen, Sgt. Darryl Peppler told The Gazette Monday, Feb. 14.

Calling the fire “a tragic accident,” Peppler said Mounties turned over their investigation to a B.C. coroner who attended the scene. The man’s family was notified right away.

Rich Piché, Dep. Fire Chief at Grand Forks Fire/Rescue, said the fire burnt a small section of the dead man’s bachelor suite. The suite’s windows and doors were shut when fire fighters found his body.

It’s not clear when the fire started, but Piché said it had burned itself out before he arrived. Oxygen tanks found at the scene suggest it started when the man’s breathing supply accidentally caught fire, he said.

The Coroner’s Service has not yet released the specific cause of death.

@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca
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