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Fire Marshall: Fatal apartment fire caused by “careless use of smoking material”

Posted at 11:08 AM, Oct 23, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-23 11:09:01-04
kentwood

Scene of the fire- October 16th, 2015

KENTWOOD, Mich. — The Kentwood Fire Marshall has determined a cause in the fire that killed two people last Friday at the Wingate Apartment Complex.

The Fire Marshall told media this morning that the cause of the fire was due to “careless use of smoking material”.

51-year-old Mary Hopkins and 61-year-old Edward Newhouse were killed in the fire.

During the October 16th incident,  crews on-scene were able to pull the couple from the building, but both died before they could be taken in ambulances to the hospital.  A neighbor who lived above the couple told FOX 17 at the time that Hopkins was handicapped and on oxygen.