Smoke inhalation kills man in Milo blaze

MILO – Smoke inhalation caused the death of the unidentified 36-year-old man whose body was found after a fire Sunday flattened his River Road mobile home, officials said Monday.

Flames apparently spread and gutted a second mobile home 10 feet away, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.

The other home is owned by James Lockwood and his wife, Glendena, who reported the fire, McCausland said. The couple own the burned-out mobile home where the fatality occurred. Glendena Lockwood was taken to Mayo Regional Hospital by ambulance, according to McCausland, who said her injuries were not a direct result of the fire.

Contacted Monday afternoon, a hospital supervisor declined to release information about Lockwood’s condition. DNA testing could be used to identify the dead man, who is believed to be that of the renter, according to McCausland.

“All we know is that a 36-year-old man was living there, and there’s no reason to believe that the dead person is anyone other than him,” said McCausland.

Positive identification depends on whether relatives can be located, he said.

While three investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office have determined that the fire started in the living room near the couch, additional interviews need to be conducted to pinpoint an exact cause, according to McCausland.

The deceased “was a heavy smoker,” McCausland said.