By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office is identifying the Centralia man who whose body was found when a fire in his apartment was extinguished early yesterday as Ron Ray Meeks, age 56.
Centralia fire authorities had listed Meeks yesterday as 54.
Ron Meeks home
Chief Deputy Coroner Dawn Harris said this morning Meeks died from smoke inhalation and his manner of death is being classified as an accident.
The cause of the approximately 4 a.m. fire on Monday on the 300 block of Magnolia Street has not been released, but the fire chief has said it is not suspicious.
Meeks moved into the complex in February and his girlfriend moved out about three weeks ago, according to neighbors.
Harris said his only immediate family is one sister who lives in Utah.
Harris said this morning the office has made the same findings about 54-year-old Gary Ike, who perished in his Ethel home late Wednesday night.
The cause of that fire is most likely an accident from combustible materials too close to a space heater, according to fire investigator Derrick Paul.
Gary Allen Ike
Seven space heaters were found in the house, which had a wood stove as its main heat source , Paul said. Ike had been burning in the wood stove, Paul said this morning.
It was partially the large amount of material kept in the small house that led Paul to that conclusion, he said.
“There was lots and lots of clutter, there was lots and lots of stuff everywhere,” he said.
In both fires, investigators lamented the lack of working smoke detectors.
Paul said last week that’s a commonality in almost every fire fatality they see.
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Read “Resident from Ethel’s fatal house fire was a ‘good guy’ ” from 7:46 a.m. on Friday Oct. 29, 2010 here
Read “Cause of fatal Centralia apartment fire still unknown, but not suspicious, fire chief says” from 7 p.m. yesterday Monday Nov. 1, 2010 here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Two fires and fatalities in Lewis County. The absence of working smoke detectors is common in both cases.
October was National Fire Safety Month. Please take the time to check your smoke detectors. If they are battery operated it is recommended to change the batteries when the clocks “Fall Back & Spring Ahead”.
If something good can come from the pain and sorrow we all feel, let it be a reminder to install and check our smoke detectors.
In memory of “The Coach”