Cigarette to blame in fire that killed 70-year-old Tigard woman

A fire investigator has determined that an improperly disposed of cigarette caused a fire that killed a 70-year-old Tigard woman last month.

Jo-Anne Greenwood, who lived alone in the Summerfield Retirement Community unit, was killed in the Feb. 20 fire that started about 3 a.m., according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Smoke inhalation played a part in her death, but she was also burned, TVF&R said.

Investigators determined that the fire started in an extra bedroom in her condo, where Greenwood often smoked, said Brian Barker, a TVF&R spokesman.

"Our hearts go out to this woman's family," Barker said in a news release, "We've seen a number of fires caused by cigarettes recently, and they're all preventable. People don't realize that the only safe way to extinguish and discard your cigarettes is in an ashtray or appropriate metal container with a lid."

Fire crews from Tigard, Tualatin and King City responded to Greenwood's residence, in the 15000 block of Southwest 94th Avenue, after a woman staying with her mother in a neighboring unit reportedly saw fire and smoke and called 9-1-1.

Arching electrical lines made fighting the fire challenging, TVF&R said, but firefighters controlled the blaze within seven minutes of arriving on scene. Another crew entered the home and found Greenwood on the floor. They rushed her outside to paramedics, who determined she had died, according to TVF&R.

No one else was injured in the fire. Because of firewalls between the units and a quick, aggressive firefighter response, the damage was primarily contained to the one unit, TVF&R said.

Fire officials estimate the fire caused $105,000 in damage to the unit and its contents.

Barker cited statistics from the state Fire Marshal's Office that between 2005 and 2009 about 6,400 fires caused by cigarettes resulted in 34 deaths, 133 injuries and about $20 million in property loss.

After the Tigard fire, on Feb. 21, firefighters knocked on doors in the community and offered to check residents' smoke alarms, Barker said. Firefighters reportedly found that about 25 percent of the smoke alarms they tested were not working and needed replacing. Barker said non-working alarms were replaced.