Fire that killed Albemarle woman was caused by smoking materials, officials say

Albemarle County Fire Rescue officials on Sunday said a fire that killed a 64-year-old county woman on Saturday was caused by smoking materials.

Officials said Ruth Hart died at the scene of the fire at 3041 Northwoods Grove Road that broke out around 1 p.m. Saturday.

No one else was in the home except for the family dog when the fire broke out, officials said. The fire activated smoke detectors in the home that alerted neighbors, who called 911.

According to a news release, firefighters made it to the scene in about four minutes and quickly put out the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjoining units in the building. The fire caused about $30,000 in damage to the home’s contents but no structural damage.

Hart’s spouse and the dog are being assisted by the American Red Cross.

Investigators said they have determined that the fire’s cause was “smoking materials, such as cigarettes.”

Source: www.dailyprogress.com