Man Suffocates in Home Fire in Meiners Oaks

A 47-year-old Meiners Oaks man died Wednesday morning in a fire inside his home, Ventura County authorities said.

Ronald Weston may have been asleep in bed when the blaze started, apparently from a smoldering cigarette, said Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Mike Feiler. An autopsy revealed that Weston died from asphyxiation after smoke filled his bedroom, Feiler said.

Weston lived with his 22-year-old son in a small “granny flat” adjacent to the main house, occupied by his brother, Mark Weston, in the 700 block of South Rice Road.

Weston’s son, who was not injured, was in another room with the door closed when the fire broke out shortly after 6 a.m., Feiler said.

Mark Weston, who spotted smoke and flames coming from the dwelling, doused the fire with a garden hose, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Higgason.

Mark Weston then ran into the smoke-filled dwelling and pulled his brother outside, authorities said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. No foul play is suspected, fire officials said.