Space heater suspected in fire death investigation

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Members of the Spencer Fire Department were called to 513 West Fifth Street early Friday morning. Spencer Police Chief Doug Duncan suspects an electric space heater as the cause of a fire at the location.

At 12:11 a.m. firefighters were called to the Wayne Weier Sr. residence at 513 West Fifth Street. Some fire and heavy smoke could be seen from the front of the building when firefighters arrived.

Weier was the only occupant of the house. He was located in the kitchen by firefighters who entered the building through the severe heat and smoke according to Duncan. The fire department is awaiting autopsy results to confirm the cause of death.

The fire started in the northeast part of the living room. The origin of the fire was determined to be accidental.

"We are pretty sure an electric space heater ignited a sofa in the living room," Duncan said.

Most of the firefighters were at the scene for just over an hour. The last fire truck returned to the station at about 4 a.m.

"The guys got it knocked pretty quick and we were lucky it didn't extend to the attic too far," Duncan said.

The home sustained about $25,000 in damage. The building can't be occupied and it is unclear if the structure will have to be knocked down.

"That will be up to whoever the property owner is," Duncan said. "It would be marginal, I think. There was a lot of heat and smoke in there and it is not that big of a house."

No other injuries were were reported.

After going nearly three decades without a fire-related fatality, Spencer emergency crews will be happy to see 2008 come to a close. Friday morning's response call was the second time in less than five months that a fatality had to be investigated at the scene of a fire.

Smoke inhalation was determined as the cause of death for 47-year-old Karen Lynn Colding of Spencer who was trapped in her bedroom by an apartment fire on June 30.

"I think we're going to see some issues -- and we've really got to stress this," Duncan said. "People are going to look for alternate heat sources and if they are, be it kerosine, LP, liquid petroleum gas, electric, wood, coal, corn pallets -- whatever -- they've got to make sure everything is in good shape, ready to be used and make sure that there are no combustibles close to these things."

The Spencer Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Spencer Police Department, Spencer Hospital Ambulance, Spencer Municipal Utilities, Black Hills Energy, the Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office and the Clay County Medical Examiner.