
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 5, 1995                   TAG: 9505050090
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FATAL BLAZE STARTED WITH STOVE ASHES

A house fire that killed a Botetourt County man and critically injured his son Wednesday night was an accident that could have been avoided, authorities said.

Botetourt Sheriff Reed Kelly said an investigation of the fire that killed Earnest Wade Huffman Sr. and sent Earnest Huffman Jr. to the University of Virginia Hospital burn center showed that the fire started from some ashes that were disposed of improperly.

Kelly said it appeared that some ashes and hot cinders were taken from a wood stove and stored in the basement in a plastic bucket. The cinders burned through the bucket and ignited some debris.

The fire escalated when someone, probably 68-year-old Earnest Huffman Sr., opened the basement door, allowing oxygen to rush in, causing an explosive backdraft.

"Anytime you vent a fire like that, it creates a backdraft," Kelly said.

Huffman, who burned to death, apparently was too weak to reach the front door of the house.

Huffman's wife, Betty, was away from the house when the fire broke out.

Earnest Huffman Jr. was in critical condition Thursday night with severe burns to the upper half of his body.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB