Officials identify victims of house fire
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on December 7, 2008 2:00 AM
Goldsboro officials have identified the two victims of an early Thursday morning blaze as Joseph Wiggs and Hilda Allen.
Wiggs, 54, and Ms. Allen, 64, were renting the 1506 Dakota St. home, which was found fully engulfed when fire fighters arrived after receiving the 3:38 a.m. call.
Wiggs was found in a bedroom in the house, while Ms. Allen was found near a doorway in the living room. The bodies have been sent to Chapel Hill for autopsies by the state medical examiner's office, but officials do not believe any foul play was involved with the deaths.
State and local officials also have ruled out arson, but said the exact cause is still unknown. They have said, though, that both victims were smokers and that there may have been some frayed wiring around a space heater.
Goldsboro fire Capt. Bernard Patterson explained Thursday that when they arrived the fire was fully involved, leaving them only able to fight a defensive attack -- one in which personnel do not enter the structure for safety reasons.