ARVADA — A 68-year-old man and his 95-year-old mother died after they were pulled from their burning home by firefighters last Friday morning, a spokesperson for Arvada Fire District said.
Crews responded to the home near West 64th Avenue and Lee Street around 4 a.m on June 27 after a neighbor called 911 because they smelled smoke through an open window.
The Jefferson County coroner identified the victims as Lorraine Cowan, 95, and Stephen Ringenberg, 68.
Investigators later determined that the fire originated in the basement of the home due to improper disposal of cigarettes in a bed, Arvada Fire District said on Twitter. It has been ruled accidental.
Cowan, 95, was taken to Lutheran Hospital for treatment, where she died from her injuries. Ringenberg, 68, was treated at the scene, but could not be saved.
