Two Die in Canton House Fire, Victims Were Older Adults

A 72-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man died in a house fire on Henson Cove Road in Canton on Friday, according to officials who say the blaze has been determined to be accidental. Beth Sain and Richard Queen were identified as the victims by local authorities investigating the fire in Haywood County.

The fire broke out on Henson Cove Road, where the Center Pigeon Fire Department responded, according to a Facebook post from the department. Both the fire department and the Haywood County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Sain and Queen died in the fire, as reported by WYFF. Henson Cove Road is in the Canton area.

Officials have determined the fire itself was accidental, but the exact cause of death for each victim still awaits confirmation. The state medical examiner's office will determine the official cause of death, per the same report.

A Volunteer Department Rooted in the Community

The Center Pigeon Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire. As Hurricane Helene approached, 14 Raleigh firefighters were sent to Haywood County to help with search-and-rescue efforts, as reported by outside crews.

The fatal structure-fire investigation is ongoing.

The Victims Were Older Adults

Both victims were 65 or older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of death due to fire among people aged 85 and over was 3.6 per 100,000, more than twice the rate among people aged 65–74, which was 1.7 per 100,000.

Fatal-fire reporting can include incident totals, cause classifications, and ignition sources.

A CDC-hosted analysis by S.R. Kegler reported that residential fires caused between 2,000 and 3,000 deaths annually in the United States from 1999 through 2015, totaling approximately 45,000 deaths.

Smoke alarms are a fire-safety consideration, and fire-death rates can be compared across jurisdictions.

No further details on the cause of the Henson Cove Road fire or the specific findings expected from the medical examiner have been released. Officials have not indicated when autopsy results are expected to be finalized.