BELLE, W.Va. — The West Virginia Fire Marshal continues to probe the cause of a Christmas Eve fire in Kanawha County which left a man dead.
James Selbe, 44, of Belle, died at the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh several hours after the fire tore through his apartment on 9th Street in Belle. The fire was preceded by an explosion, according to witnesses and the evidence.
“There’s evidence of an explosion. The damage done to the home indicates there was some kind of pressure blast,” said Kanawha County Director of Emergency Management C.W. Sigman said.
The Fire Marshal tweeted the cause of the fire as of Thursday was undetermined.
“The fire was contained to the back part of the garage apartment, the front part of the house is not damaged that much. The fire department was able to get there quickly, extract the patient, and get the fire knocked down pretty quick,” Sigman said.
Selbe’s body is being sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. Investigators hope that will shed light on clues into his death.
UPDATE: A man who was severely burned in a Christmas Eve fire in Belle has died of his injuries at West Penn Burn Center. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time. NFI
— WVState Fire Marshal (@WVFireMarshal) December 26, 2019