A 73-year-old blind man died in his South Carolina apartment after accidentally turning on an oven and setting his jacket on fire, authorities said.
Jerry Martin Ellis was found dead in his Anderson residence on Sunday morning after fire department officials responded to a 911 call.
A preliminary investigation found that Ellis, who was blind, inadvertently activated his oven, which then ignited his clothing. His official cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation secondary to thermal burns, according to the coroner's office.
The Anderson County Fire Department Headquarters and the coroner's office are continuing to investigate the incident.
Ellis was remembered as an avid hiker who enjoyed listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Rod Stewart. He was also a fan of the South Carolina Gamecocks and owned a poodle named Ginger. He is survived by two sons and a sister.