Fire cause eludes state investigators

Fire destruction at a rural mobile home near Walhalla was so extensive that investigators from the state Law Enforcement Division were unable to pinpoint a cause, according to Charlie King of Oconee Emergency Services.  That Sunday night fire took the lives of two men—Alfonso Contreras and “Charlie” Lee Brooks.  Coroner’s autopsies used dental records to make positive identifications and disclosed that, in both deaths, smoke inhalation was fatal.  King says the cause of a second Sunday night home fire between Seneca and Clemson also remains undetermined, although investigators have not ruled out that a small space heater or discarded smoking materials helped ignite that fire.  King says Oconee Emergency Services continues to provide smoke detectors to Oconee County residents.  To request one, call 638-4200.