Leisure Village Fire Victim Is Identified

Authorities have identified the victim of a Monday night fire in Leisure Village as Mary Olsen, 75.

Ventura County Fire Department officials said Tuesday that the fatal blaze may have started when a smoldering cigarette fell into a piece of furniture.

“They don’t have an exact cause, but they have a strong indication that the cigarette sparked the house fire,” said Sandi Wells, a spokeswoman for the county Fire Department. “Most of investigation concluded [Monday] night, but they will be doing some follow up.”

Investigators are still unsure how the cigarette dropped into the furniture or whether Olsen had been asleep when the fire started. County medical examiners said Tuesday that Olsen died of asphyxiation, from inhaling smoke and carbon monoxide from the flames.

Officials said the fire broke out about 6:10 p.m. at Olsen’s duplex in Village 40 of the 3,600-resident senior community on the eastern edge of Camarillo. The blaze caused $50,000 in damage to the structure and contents, which together had been valued at more than $200,000.

Firefighters put out the fire within 30 minutes, keeping it from spreading beyond the kitchen and living room of the one-story residence.

Services for Olsen are pending.