Smoke Inhalation Cause of Death for Lovell Woman

A 71 year old Lovell resident died last Monday after a fire that started in her attic space filled her apartment with smoke.
According to the Lovell Chronicle, Rose City West resident Charlene Kay McCrady died of apparent smoke inhalation. Two cats also perished in the incident. Lovell Fire Captain Bob Mangus told the newspaper that an electrical fire was found inside a conduit pipe running under a bed of insulation.
A dozen firefighters responded to the 911 call that came in shortly after 3 p.m., after North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center Director Denise Andersen went to check on McCrady when she didn’t respond to a phone call about a ride she had scheduled with the center’s transportation service. During the search first responders found McCrady’s lifeless body on the floor of the apartment.
Firefighters evacuated other residents of the apartment complex, and said that although there was no visible smoke in the adjacent apartments there was a noticeable smell.
Lovell Fire Chief Jim Minchow said, based on the amount of suet and smoke in the apartment, the fire could have been smoldering for up to 24 hours. He added that a thorough search by firefighters discovered the cover to the unit’s smoke detector melted, but found no batteries on or near the unit. Rose City West manager Nick Lewis said some of the smoke detection units in the apartment are hard-wired and do not require batteries.
This is the first structural fire in the Lovell Fire District to result in a death in 36 years, according to fire officials.