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By RAY CUMMINGS rcummings@leader.net NESCOPECK TWP. - An
elderly man died early Sunday morning as fire ravaged a Dump Hill Road
home, according to state police at Shickshinny.
 Monday, January 08, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





The man's identity has not yet been determined, according to Luzerne County
Coroner Dr. George Hudock. Fire officials say Woodrow Kishbaugh, 85, was the
sole resident and owner of the home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At 5:15 a.m. a motorist noticed the house was on fire and called 911. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fire crews from Nescopeck Township, Nescopeck borough, Hobbie, Sugarloaf
Township, Salem Township, Mifflinville, Berwick, and Summerhill responded 10
minutes later and had the fire under control in an hour. But it would be
another several hours until the fire was extinguished completely, Nescopeck
Township Fire Chief Don Hess said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The fire had been burning for at least half an hour or an hour (when
firemen arrived),'' Hess said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 State fire officials have determined that either a wood-burning stove or a
kerosene heater caused the blaze, Hess said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The victim's body was discovered when firefighters had extinguished the
blaze. Hess said he suspected that ``at least one person was there'' prior to
the discovery of the body because a car was parked in the driveway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hudock described the victim as an ``elderly white male'' and said he died
of natural causes before the fire started. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hudock said that the victim's identity was unknown as of Sunday night, but
Hess said he was ``relatively certain'' that Kishbaugh's body was the one
discovered in the flame-ravaged home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The body was pretty badly burned, but it doesn't look like it was
actually the fire that killed him,'' Hess said. ``He died of something else.
We talked to some of his family and friends, and it seems that he was possibly
trying to put the fire out himself and maybe had a heart attack.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hess said the incident marks the township's first-ever fatal fire. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We've had our fatal car crashes, but this is the first fatal fire in
anyone's memory,'' Hess said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ray Cummings, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 459-2009. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Elderly Man Found Dead After Fire The Victim Died Of Natural Causes Before Nescopeck Twp. Blaze Began, Coroner Says.