Whitman County authorities identify man in Tuesday fire fatality

The Whitman County Coroner’s office identified the Pullman man who died Tuesday in a College Hill structure fire.

Pullman firefighters found the body of 60-year-old Steven Paul Sargent after responding to a building on fire at the 400 block of Northeast Maple Street at around 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The fire destroyed the inside of the structure. Pullman fire Chief Mike Heston described the structure as a garage converted into living quarters.

Pullman Fire Marshal Darren Jones said in a release Tuesday that fire crews encountered extensive debris in the building that made it difficult for firefighters to force open the door. He said crews also found a number of discarded cigarettes and electrical extension cords in the building.

Glenn Johnson, fire department spokesman, said the cause of the fire was undetermined because Jones couldn’t rule out “smoking” or “electrical” as the cause.