Six killed in fire had been drinking

Six out of the seven college students killed last month in a beach house fire had alcohol in their systems, although a prosecutor said he doesn’t believe drinking played a role in the deaths.

The blood-alcohol levels ranged from 0.16% to 0.29%, said Dr. John Butts, the state’s chief medical examiner. The legal limit for driving in North Carolina is 0.08%, and Butts said the alcohol levels may have affected the students’ coordination and “their ability to respond.”

But Brunswick County District Attorney Rex Gore dismissed the suggestion that drinking contributed to the deaths. He noted that there was no trace of alcohol in the seventh victim. Six other students staying at the house were able to escape the blaze. At least two did so by jumping from a window.