The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has notified the Office of the State Fire Marshal that preliminary examination of the body of a LaPlata man shows no signs that his death is fire related.
The body of 75-year-old John Edward Brooks was found by neighbors outside his home, on Arlough Place in LaPlata, at 8:49 a.m. on January 11. Although Brooks mobile home had signs of soot throughout, examination of the victim’s body revealed no indications that his death was caused by inhaling smoke or fumes.
Fire investigators determined that the soot inside Brooks home was the result of a poorly operating kerosene heater which generated a large amount of soot.