Countywide

Two persons died Saturday in separate early morning residence fires in Vista and in the Paradise Hills area of San Diego.

The body of 91-year-old Lee James Lamoreaux was found by firefighters after they extinguished a fire in the elderly man’s cottage in the l900 block of Riviera Drive in rural Vista. The fire destroyed the kitchen, living room and one bedroom of the single-story home, causing about $30,000 in damage.

Lamoreaux’s body was found in the kitchen and a wood-burning stove is suspected as the cause of the fire. San Diego Sheriff’s Department arson investigation unit was called in by the Vista Fire Department to determine the cause of the fire.

In Paradise Hills, San Diego firefighters found the burned body of a 37-year-old woman at a condominium at 2833 Ritva Place. A Metro Arson Strike Team investigation showed that the fire started when a cigarette ignited a couch. Damage to the apartment and its contents was estimated at $150,000.

The county coroner’s office said that identity of the victim could not be confirmed until dental records were received.