A 33-year-old mother who died of injuries she sustained in a that also left two of her children dead was killed by smoke inhalation, authorities said Monday.
An autopsy on Brandy Jones was completed on Sunday, police said. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office said a determination on her manner and case of death are pending further investigation.
Jones died on Thursday, less than a week after the May 30 fire at the Ranch Motel on the 3900 block of North Nevada Avenue.
Jones’ 4-year-old son, Wade, and 2-year-old daughter, Cheyenne, from the fire. Her 10-year-old son, who has not been named by authorities, was last listed in stable condition at a Denver-area hospital.
Officials say a smoke detector’s battery in the family’s room and investigators found there were no working smoke alarms in any of the motel’s rental units.
The city’s fire department said some detectors were more than 10 years old and had no batteries installed. Additionally, fire officials say they discovered electrical issues throughout the complex, which was built in the late 1940s.
“The room (had) been set up as a ‘suite’ type unit and would not have met current fire code,” the department said in a statement last week.
The fire remains under investigation. Authorities have called the blaze “suspicious.”
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
