Fire Officials: Cigarette Caused Fatal Idaho Blaze

March 28, 2012

Fire investigators say a 68-year-old Boise, Idaho, man was smoking a cigarette in bed and caused the blaze that claimed his life.

Arthur Brooks Sr. has been identified as the victim of the fatal duplex fire early Sunday.

On Monday, authorities said Brooks used a wheelchair and was able to get out of his bed but did not make it out of the burning home. A woman at the duplex was also unable to get the man out. She alerted people living at the adjacent unit in the duplex.

Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to that unit, which sustained smoke damage, displacing the family who lived there.

Officials said the duplex did not have smoke detectors.