Investigators determining cause of Fairfield Twp. fire

State and local investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire that claimed the life of a Fairfield Twp. man Saturday afternoon.

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Fairfield Twp. Fire Chief Timothy Thomas said firefighters were called about 1:40 p.m. to the 2000 block of Parrish Avenue after someone called 911.

Thomas said when firefighters arrived to the one-story vinyl wood-frame house, they found fire coming out of the front window and front porch area.

Firefighters made an interior attack into the house fire which was knocked-down in about 10 minutes. Inside they found the male victim’s body inside the front door, he said.

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The victim has not been identified by the Butler County Coroner’s Office.

“No one else was there,” Thomas said. “The house is probably totaled due to the severe damage from the heavy smoke and heat.”

Thomas said the Hamilton, West Chester Twp., and Liberty Twp. fire departments assisted Fairfield Twp. in putting the fire out.

He said one firefighter was taken to the hospital to be checked for heat exhaustion.

Thomas said this is the first fatality from a house fire since he took over as fire chief in November 2012. He was not sure of fatalities prior to that.

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He said the cause of the fire is being investigated by the Butler County Fire Investigation Team, the State Fire Marshal's Office and Fairfield Twp. police.

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