Elderly man perishes in home fire

A Simi Valley resident died last week in a fire that consumed his home in the 4100 block of Eve Road.

According to fire officials, emergency personnel were notified about the blaze at 5:54 a.m. when a paramedic noticed smoke while driving on Highway 118. The Ventura County Fire Department was able to extinguish the blaze by 7 a.m.

The fire was contained and did not spread to neighboring dwellings, but the 1,500square-foot home where the fire started was destroyed.

Fire officials were unable to say if the man who owned the home, described by neighbors as a 78-year-old recluse, died before or after the blaze began.

“The incident is still under investigation pending a coroner’s report and the release of autopsy information,” said Capt. Barry Parker, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.

The coroner’s office cannot release the man’s identity until a family member is notified.

––Avi Rutschman