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Space Heaters Likely Cause Of Fire That Kills City Man

A Jamestown man died after a fire broke out at his Carey Place residence early Thursday. A city fire official said space heaters placed near combustible material likely sparked the blaze. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

Space heaters placed near combustible materials likely sparked a blaze that killed a Jamestown man early Thursday, city fire officials said.

Crews were alerted to the fire at 21 Carey Place around 1:15 a.m. and arrived to find flames shooting from the rear area of the second floor. Firefighters were notified while en route that someone may have been trapped inside the home.

After making entry, city firefighters found 74-year-old Patrick M. Reilly on the second floor, Lt. Tim Glenn of the Jamestown Fire Department said. Reilly was taken by ambulance to UPMC Chautauqua WCA where he was later pronounced dead.

An investigation by city fire officials determined two electric space heaters near combustible materials likely caused the blaze on the upper floor. The fire was knocked down within an hour, and damage was largely contained to one area, Glenn said.

The property is still considered structurally sound.

Firefighters remained at the Carey Place residence until around 7:30 a.m. Off-shift crews were summoned to assist firefighters on scene.

Glenn told local media that Reilly’s body was taken to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo for an autopsy.

No other injuries were reported in Thursday morning’s blaze. The fire department was assisted by the Jamestown Police Department and ALSTAR EMS.

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