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Glenville man dies in fire

By Lisa Majors-Duff

A Glenville-area man died last week in a fire that totally destroyed his home.

Vernon Houston, 56, of 66 Yellow Mountain Road, died in what investigators are calling an accident. The fire that destroyed Houston's trailer was caused by a kerosene heater that malfunctioned, said Detective Jimmy Clawson of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

"It was a tremendous fire," Clawson said. "The heater's thermostat was wide open."

Personnel from Cashiers-Glenville and Cullowhee fire departments responded to the fire, which was called in by a neighbor at 9:10 p.m. March 12.

Houston, who was found under the trailer, was positively identified by the Raleigh Medical Examiners Office, Clawson said. The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation, he said.

Back to Archive: 03/22/01.