Woman who died in house fire identified

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 7, 2018

EVERETT — An Everett woman died of smoke inhalation last week in a house fire on Lombard Avenue.

The tenant, 57, had rented the small house from the Red Cross for many years before the fire broke out around 10 p.m. Thursday. Fire crews found her body in the living room, where the flames had been most intense.

She was identified Tuesday as Lola E. McKee, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her death was ruled an accident.

Intense heat and flame damage left investigators unable to determine how the fire started, Everett Assistant Fire Marshal Steve Goforth said. There was no evidence to suggest it was suspicious.

The single-story, 480-square-foot house sits on the grounds of the local chapter of the American Red Cross. It was rented through a property management company. It was built in 1925, according to county records.