A 53-year-old man's careless smoking was blamed Friday for starting the fire that killed him in the St. Paul garage he had made his home for the past seven years.
Donald Pnewski Jr., 53, died early Thursday in the garage in the 800 block of W. Juno Avenue from carbon-monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation, said city Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.
"The fire was likely caused by his careless smoking in bed," Zaccard's statement said.
It is St. Paul's fourth fire fatality this year. The previous three also were attributed to careless smoking, the No. 1 cause of fire-related deaths in the state, Zaccard said.
Pnewski had been forced out of the home and into the garage year-round by his mother because of his heavy drinking and smoking. She was dependent on an oxygen tank until her death several months ago at age 80.
Friends say Pnewski was just days away from moving into his own apartment.
The fire began about 2 a.m. and quickly left the garage in a heap of charred debris.
PAUL WALSH
