Man who died in Rainier fire has been identified, and his death is being investigated
A man who died in a Rainier mobile home fire on July 25 has been identified, according to the Thurston County Coroner.
Gabriel Ayala, 58, of Rainier died as a result of smoke inhalation, Coroner Gary Warnock said Sunday. His manner of death is still to be determined, he said.
The Nisqually Valley News reports that the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death because two other people were able to escape the fire. Sheriff’s Sgt. Roland Weiss told the newspaper the Sheriff’s Office is unaware of any mobility issues Ayala may have had to prevent him from getting out.
The investigation could take several weeks, Weiss told the Nisqually Valley News. The fire is also under investigation, he said.
About 12:30 a.m. July 25, the Sheriff’s Office and Southeast Thurston Fire Authority responded to the fire on the 900 block of Tipsoo Loop North and arrived to find a mobile home engulfed in flames, The Olympian reported.
A couple and their adult son lived at the home, according to Sheriff’s Lt. Ray Brady. The mother and son managed to escape, Brady said, but emergency responders found the body of Ayala, the father, inside the home after the fire was extinguished.
This story was originally published August 2, 2020 at 12:03 PM.
