74-year-old man killed in fire in Overland Park condominium
.JPG "A scorched second-floor window indicates where James Arthur Stoker, 74, of Overland Park, died after a fire broke out in his condominium early Monday in the 7600 block of West 59th Terrace. Officials think a discarded cigarette ignited the blaze.")
A man was killed early Monday when a fire broke out in his northern Overland Park condominium.
James Arthur Stoker, 74, of Overland Park, died in the fire. Although the cause is still being investigated, fire officials said they thought a discarded cigarette ignited the blaze.
The fire was discovered just after 4 a.m. at the Devereaux Condominiums in the 7600 block of West 59th Terrace, just west of Shawnee Mission North High School.
Firefighters arriving on the scene reported seeing smoke and flames coming from a window of the second-story condo, Jason Rhodes, a spokesman for the Overland Park Fire Department, said in a news release.
Residents in the eight-unit building were evacuated.
As a team of firefighters attacked the blaze, a second team searched for victims. They found Stoker’s body in the unit where the fire started, Rhodes said.
Firefighters contained the fire to where it started. A few adjacent units in the building had smoke and water damage. No other injuries were reported.
Fire officials think there were no working smoke alarms in the home.
Officials said Stoker’s death fits a common profile for fire fatalities — older adults who live independently, are smokers and use oxygen tanks.
People who have friends or family members who fit that profile and are unable to stop smoking should contact Tricia Roberts, the Overland Park Fire Department’s public education specialist, at 913-888-6066.
To reach Robert A. Cronkleton, call 816-234-4261 or send email to bcronkleton@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @cronkb.
This story was originally published September 8, 2014 at 7:23 AM with the headline "74-year-old man killed in fire in Overland Park condominium."