CLEARFIELD – A March 3 house fire, which claimed the life of a teen firefighter and displaced a local family, has been ruled accidental in nature, reported the state police at Clearfield.
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal continued the investigation into the house fire that displaced John E., 51, and Cindy S. Poole, 39, of 714 Daisy St., Clearfield. The cause has been determined to be accidental in nature, said state police.
According to state police, a mattress was leaning against a wall in the first-floor living room. When it fell over, state police said it landed on a propane heater that was in use; this caused the mattress to ignite.
Additionally, state police said there was a box spring located on the adjacent wall in the same room, which contributed to the spread of the fire. State police said, “Due to the enormous fuel load in the room, the fire spread throughout the entire first floor.”
There aren’t any suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire, state police said. However, state police noted the investigation will continue into the chain of events that resulted in the front porch roof collapse and death of Lawrence Township Firefighter Jeffrey Buck Jr., 18, of Clearfield.