2010 – Montana, US. This 25-year-old man apparently was known to have been drinking into the early morning hours of Friday. He was dropped off at his parent’s home at about 0200, with the last known contact being by phone at about 0400. At 0608, the fire department was notified of a fire in the home, firefighters responding to the scene, extinguishing the fire, and finding the decedent on his right front side at the base of a wood wall in the partial log cabin-type home. The decedent was burned beyond visual recognition. Due to the apparent violent nature of his injuries and death, jurisdiction was assumed by the Coroner, who authorized that autopsy would be performed.
Fig.1 The decedent on his right front side at the base of a wood wall in the partial log cabin-type home.
Fig.2 The decedent was burned beyond visual recognition.
Fig.3 It took members of the Fire Department about four hours to get a handle on the blaze and put it out.
At the postmortem examination, prominent evidence of smoke inhalation was found, including abundant soot in his airways as well as soot extending through his esophagus down into his stomach, consistent with both inhalation and swallowing of soot. His tissues were bright cherry red and maintained this color in formalin solution, consistent with carbon monoxide saturations greater than 25-30%, and consistent with the abundant smoke inhalation. No evidence was found of vital reaction in any of the burn injuries sustained, these appearing to all be postmortem-type burns. This young man died as a result of smoke inhalation, secondary to the home fire, and burned after he was dead.
Fig.4 Postmortem examination of the victim.
Fig.5 Postmortem examination of the victim.
Fig.6 His tissues were bright cherry red and maintained this color in formalin solution, consistent with carbon monoxide saturation.
Fig.7 Prominent evidence of smoke inhalation was found, including abundant soot in his airways.
Fig.8 Soot extending through his esophagus down into his stomach, consistent with both inhalation and swallowing of soot.
The Billings Gazette
A man died this morning in an early morning house fire.
Sheriff R.J. said the body of 25-year-old K.B. was recovered from the wreckage of the fire, which was reported at about 6:30 a.m.
It took members of the Fire Department about four hours to get a handle on the blaze and put it out, J. said.
“It was pretty well totaled,” J. said of the house, although an exact damage estimate wasn’t available as of 7 p.m.
A preliminary investigation points toward a wood fire inside the home as the likely cause of the deadly fire and that it appears to be accidental, J. said.
The Fire Department continues to investigate and a state fire marshal has been called in.
Fig.9 The man’s identity was confirmed through dental identification.
Fig.10 Wallet of the man who died in the early morning house fire.
Fig.11 The victim was 25-year-old.
Latest posts
