Smoking caused fatal weekend fire, investigators say

LAKEWOOD – A house fire that killed an elderly Lakewood woman last weekend was caused by “improperly discarded smoking materials,” investigators from West Metro Fire Rescue District and Lakewood Police Department said Friday.

The woman, who has not been identified, was found in a bedroom of the house at 1310 Pierce Street as firefighters searched the residence in the pre-dawn hours Saturday after extinguishing the fire.

Fire crews found a single smoke alarm in the home, but the battery powering the device was missing.

The house sustained heavy smoke and fire damage estimated at between $75,000 and $100,000, according to West Metro Fire investigators.

West Metro also issued a reminder to check smoke alarm batteries often.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the victim, pending notification of relatives.