(Pullman, WA) The Whitman County Coroner’s Office has released the cause of death Steven Paul Sargent, the 60-year-old man found dead in a shed fire in Pullman in late December.
Sargent was determined to have died of asphyxia due to inhalation of smoke in a dwelling on the 400 block of NE Maple Street during the fire.
City of Pullman Firefighters found Sargent dead inside a small outbuilding that caught fire on the morning of December 31.
The city’s fire investigator was unable to determine the specific cause of the blaze. Fire Marshal Darren Jones was unable to pinpoint whether the fire was sparked by discarded cigarettes or electrical extension cords that were being used to provide power to the shed. Fire officials believe Sargent was living inside the small outbuilding.