Man killed in fire at Monroe motel 2:16 PM

02:16 PM EDT on Thursday, July 3, 2008 By WCNC Staff Firefighters find man dead in motel room MONROE, N.C. -- One person was killed Thursday morning in a fire at a Monroe motel that was likely caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette that ignited the room's mattress. Fire officials say a preliminary investigation determined what caused the fire, but they'll perform an autopsy to determine the man's exact cause of death. Emergency crews were called at 4:30 a.m. The caller reported seeing smoke coming from a room at the Knights Inn, which is on Venus Street off E. Roosevelt Boulevard. When firefighters arrived, they found a man dead in the first-floor room. According to Monroe Fire Chief Ronald Fowler, "all indications are that fire was accidentally started." The fire was contained to one room and was quickly put out. The... [read full story]