A cigarette in a seat cushion is being blamed for a house fire that killed a woman Tuesday north of Monticello.Connie S. Cascales, 64, was pronounced dead at White County Memorial Hospital Tuesday afternoon less than an hour after she was pulled from her burning home at 2202 N. Norway Trail. According to Monticello Fire Department Chief Shane Swaim, a cigarette in a seat cushion in the living room sparked the blaze. Cascales was the only person inside at the time.
Firefighters were called to the house shortly after noon Tuesday.
An unidentified male occupant of the house arrived home to discover the blaze, Swaim said. He pulled Cascales, who was on a couch in the same room, out of the house.
The relationship between the man and Cascales was not immediately clear Wednesday afternoon.
“She was unresponsive from the time police arrived,” Swaim said. “They arrived to find him pulling her out the back door.”
Cascales was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at 12:47 p.m. Tuesday.
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, Swaim said. The house sustained minimal fire damage.
White County Coroner Mike Ott said four cats and a dog also died in the fire. There were no other injuries.
Authorities hoped to have more information about Cascales’ cause of death following an autopsy, which has been scheduled for this afternoon in Tippecanoe County, Ott said.
For updates, check back with jconline.com
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