
WINBURNE – A Winburne fire that killed one man last week has been ruled accidental.
On Christmas Eve, crews were alerted to a fully engulfed structure fire on Coalward Street.
Once on scene, crews learned one man, later identified as Clifford ‘Butch’ Dunlap, the father of the Winburne Fire Chief, was trapped inside the residence.
Crews tried to evacuate the building, however the structure became compromised and eventually collapsed, killing Dunlap.
After investigating, the Fire Marshal was unable to determine any cause of the fire. However, family members told authorities that Dunlap had been using a wood pellet stove and kerosene heater that may have not been working properly.