(CLIFFSIDE, Kitsap County) -- Investigators from the Kitsap County Fire Marshal's Office, using witness reports combined with physical evidence from the scene, have determined a cause in last night's fatal blaze here.

According to the woman who safely evacuated the burning home, the fire started while her wheelchair-bound companion was feeding parts of a cardboard box into the couple's tiny woodstove. A spark flew from the stove back into the box, catching the easy-to-ignite material on fire. In an effort to prevent the fire from spreading, the man picked up the flaming box and attempted to take it outside. While he was carrying the box on his lap, the fire spread to his shirt. He removed the shirt and threw it onto a nearby chair, which immediately burst into flames. The woman used a cordless telephone to call 9-1-1 while exiting the structure, and encouraging her companion to do the same. But he did not escape, apparently intent on continuing to fight the fire.

The exact cause of the man's death has not been determined; the Kitsap County Coroners Office has scheduled an autopsy for 9:00am on Thursday. "While it's understandable to want to protect one's home and loved ones from a rapidly-spreading fire, it's terrible to see that desire result in a tragedy that could have been avoided," adds Laboda.

In addition to the original cause of the blaze, firefighters point to a number of other factors that contributed to the fire's rapid spread.

Once the fire began, it found plenty of fuel with which to grow. The house contained a large amount of combustible items such as books, magazines, etc.

Furniture in the room of origin was also highly combustible, made of bamboo and outfitted with polyurethane cushions. Polyurethane, when exposed to heat, behaves in a manner similar to flammable liquids.

The small home was built primarily of cedar which, when exposed to enough heat, burns hot and tenaciously.