Investigators:Cigarette caused fatal Warren fire

Investigators now believe the fire that killed Loan T. Vang, 75, at her home on Columbia Place Southeast in Warren July 16 was caused by a misplaced cigarette.

Initially, they suspected a clothes dryer in the basement may have started the 11:53 a.m. fire, but the dryer was only burned on the outside, so it has been ruled out as the cause, said Ken Nussle, Warren fire chief.

Investigators suspect that a cigarette from Vang may have gotten into some clothing on the floor near the dryer, and Vang’s vision problems may have made it difficult for her to see the fire or escape.

A neighbor said Vang, who lived alone, was 96 percent blind. Vang was rescued from the basement, and CPR was administered, but she died at the hospital.

According to her obituary, she was born in Vietnam and came to the United States after the Fall of Saigon in 1975 and worked as a teacher with Warren City Schools.