Police: Cigarette Ashes Likely Contributed to Fatal Fire

South Royalton — Police say hot cigarette ash or the “improper disposal of smoking materials” likely contributed to a fatal fire in South Royalton this weekend.

Roberta Staples, 60, was killed in the blaze, which started late Saturday night in the addition on a mobile home where she was staying at 2032 North Road, according to a Vermont State Police news release.

Preliminary results of an autopsy performed on Monday found that Staples died of smoke inhalation, the release said.

Firefighters from South Royalton, Bethel and Barnard responded to the home shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, when the fire was reported by a neighbor.

The neighbor was awoken by Timothy Staples, Roberta’s husband, who fled the home after she alerted him to the blaze. Extreme heat and smoke kept him from reentering the house, police said at the time.

First responders arrived to find the mobile home beginning to collapse, and a firefighters later found Staples’ body inside.