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Coroner: Flora Cafaro’s death was accidental
By Ed Runyan
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning County Coroner’s Office has ruled the death of Flora Cafaro, local philanthropist and businesswoman, during a fire at her home in Brookfield on Nov. 17 accidental as a result of carbon-monoxide poisoning from smoke inhalation.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the fire’s cause by the state fire marshal’s office resulted in a ruling of “undetermined,” but a butane lighter found in her bedroom is a possible answer.
The lighter, apparently belonging to her boyfriend, and a butane cylinder used to fill lighters were found in the location where the fire started between her bed and a recliner. Her cellphone also was found nearby.
An investigator indicated that “mishandling smoking materials” was probably the reason for the fire.
The investigation indicated that Cafaro, 58, did not smoke, but her boyfriend did. Cafaro was alone in the home, firefighters said. She was planning to leave a few hours after the fire began, a housekeeper said.
Cafaro was found by firefighters unconscious and burned in the bathroom not far from where the fire started. Several burned and wet towels found on the recliner and on the floor between the bed and recliner indicated she had probably tried to extinguish the fire herself.
Brookfield police noted there was a trail of water from the toilet area to the bedroom that “looked as if Cafaro had placed towels in the toilet to soak them then taken them out to the fire.”
Cafaro’s son, William, told investigators the lighter found near the recliner belonged to his mother’s boyfriend, and her limited use of her hand would have “made it difficult for her to operate it.”
The bedroom was the only room that had fire damage, though there was soot and heat damage in the bathroom where she was found and soot damage in other areas of the house.
The Brookfield Fire Department was called to the 11,356-square-foot home at 5752 Stewart Sharon Road home at 3:56 p.m. for a fire alarm from Vector alarm company. The alarm was for a fire on the second floor.
The fire department arrived at 4:07 p.m. and saw “possible smoke showing.” Firefighters found Cafaro at 4:23 p.m. and brought her out, according to a county 911 call log.
Firefighters could see smoke and forced open the front gate and front door, finding Cafaro clothed on the bathroom floor, investigators said. She was removed and an attempt to revive her with CPR was initiated. She was taken by a Vienna ambulance crew to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Firefighters extinguished the fire in the bedroom and had it under control by 4:28 p.m. Damage to the home was estimated at $100,000 to the building and $50,000 to the contents.
A Brookfield police report indicated that Cafaro lived alone. Her chauffeur brought her home that day about 10:30 a.m. after spending the previous night at her boyfriend’s home in Canfield.
The groundskeeper said Cafaro did not smoke or use candles. A longtime housekeeper and nanny said she helped Cafaro that afternoon with her clothing and hair, noting that Cafaro had limited use of her right hand and leg because of a motor vehicle accident many years earlier.
Cafaro’s groundskeeper and two housekeepers left about 1:30 p.m. The home had no video security system, police said.