Spontaneous combustion caused a fatal house fire in Fountain that killed an octogenarian, fire investigators said.
Ena Ryan, 82, died Sept. 6 of smoke inhalation, according to a Fountain Fire Department media release.
Fire investigators “determined that the probable cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion,” the release said. A box of leaves with paper products nearby “spontaneously ignited” during “organic decomposition,” fire investigators said, “the same process as creating a compost pile.”
The fire initially smoldered outside Ryan’s home for “several hours” and at about 4:25 a.m. winds began to gust up to 28 mph. The strong winds fanned the flames and the fire jumped to the home and quickly spread into the attic.
Smoke filled the second story of the home and Ryan was overcome, fire investigators said.
A smoke detector on the first floor of the home alerted a private alarm company that in turn alerted the fire department, the release said, but by that time, “the second floor was involved in heavy smoke and fire.”
Investigators believe Ryan was awakened by a family pet, a dog warning of the fire, but by that time the smoke was too intense to overcome, the release said.
Ryan had five dogs and a cat. Two dogs were also killed in the fire. The home was a total loss.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
