A woman died of smoke inhalation after being trapped in her attic last month during a fire at her home in Vancouver’s Harney Heights neighborhood.
Autopsy results released late Wednesday by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the cause of Debra K. Vanderley’s death.
Vanderley, 48, called 911 from her attic on April 26 to report the fire at a split-level house at 4505 E. 15th St. Vancouver Fire Department crews arrived in seven minutes and found flames and smoke in the attic. They looked through a ceiling hatch so they could locate Vanderley.
Firefighters then cut a 4-by-4-foot hole in the roof of the home, pulled Vanderley out and rushed her to Southwest Washington Medical Center, where she later died.
At least one firefighter rode in the ambulance to help American Medical Response paramedics perform life support treatment on the way to the hospital.
