Cigarette appears to have started fatal blaze at University Place duplex, fire marshal says

A misplaced cigarette apparently caused a fatal fire Monday in a University Place duplex, Pierce County Fire Marshal Warner Webb said Tuesday.

The blaze near Sunset Drive West and 40th Street West killed 82-year-old Mary Ann Gough, who died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Webb believes Gough’s cigarette started the fire, which caused the most damage in the master bedroom, where investigators think the blaze started.

Residents of the other unit in the duplex got out safely.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Cigarette appears to have started fatal blaze at University Place duplex, fire marshal says."