A California man was killed early this morning after the patio-style home in Louisville that he was staying in caught fire, authorities say.
David Patrick Ryan, 49, of Pleasanton, Calif., was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities. The cause of death is still under investigation, according to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.
Ryan’s body was found near the front door of his father’s home in the 700 block of Club Circle, authorities said. Bernard Denver Ryan, his father, died Jan. 16, according to records.
A police officer spotted flames and called the fire department just before 2 a.m. today, said Shawn Stark, Louisville fire spokeswoman.
The house was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. “They couldn’t go in the front door,” Stark said.
A total of 31 firefighters immediately went into defensive mode, trying to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes that were only about 10 feet away, she said. The adjacent homes were evacuated, Stark said.
After crews extinguished the fire, they discovered the body of a man just inside the front door.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation. It is unclear whether the man died of smoke inhalation or was burned to death, according to Stark.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
