2 Die in Condo Fire Blamed on Cigarette Left on Chair

A smoldering cigarette set off a condominium fire Wednesday that killed two people and displaced seven others, officials said.

A 70-year-old man who lived in the two-story home and a 38-year-old woman from Anaheim were found dead in his upstairs bedroom from smoke inhalation and burns, said Anaheim Fire Department spokeswoman Maria Sabol. Their identities were not released pending notification of relatives.

The fire broke out shortly before 3:30 a.m. at the Pepperwood Village condominiums in the 1400 block of Cerritos Avenue. Five units were ruined, and damage was estimated at $225,000.

Sabol said a cigarette left on a recliner sparked the fire in the downstairs living room. It quickly spread upstairs, where the woman’s body was found in the bathroom and the man’s body was found on the bedroom floor.

“It is common for people to drop their cigarette between the couch and go to sleep,” Sabol said. “They may not be aware of it, and it could smolder. It is the No. 1 cause of fatal fires.”

Neighbor Ken Brant, 51, said he had been talking and drinking wine with the man and the woman about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The man, who didn’t smoke, had planned to make prime rib dinner for the three of them next weekend.

“They were drinking and in good spirits,” said Brant, who has lived at the complex for 22 years. “I was hoping that they had gone somewhere. Unfortunately, they didn’t.”