Body Found in Ottumwa Home After Fire

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Ottumwa officials say a deceased male was found Tuesday afternoon following a house fire.

The city of Ottumwa says at approximately 5:00 PM, the Ottumwa Police Department conducted a welfare check on an elderly male that lived at 611 S. Adella. Upon arrival, an officer smelled smoke and noticed that the windows of the house were black.

The Ottumwa Fire Department was contacted. When officials entered the home, the body of 79-year-old Jerry Lee Blomgren was discovered.

Firefighters came across evidence of a fire that originated in the living room of the house. The cause of the fire was determined to be a propane heater in the living room which ignited nearby combustibles. The fire self-extinguished due to a lack of oxygen. The exact time of the fire is unknown.

Two smoke alarms were present, however, there were no batteries in one and the other had a dead battery; therefore both alarms failed to operate.

The body has been transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

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