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EAST LIVERPOOL -- The Columbiana County Coroner's Office has identified the victim of the Ohio Avenue house fire which happened early Tuesday morning as James R Spencer, 62.
Coroner Investigator Wade Boley said they had to forensically identify Spencer through fingertips due to the extent of burns on his body.
A cause of death has not been determined and is still under investigation. An autopsy will be performed by the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office.
Boley noted that due to how busy the Cuyahoga County coroner is because they do the autopsies for many counties, he may receive some preliminary findings, but it will probably be some time before he has the full autopsy report with a cause of death.
The fire remains under investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal and the East Liverpool Police Department.
Police Chief John Lane noted that due to rumors and hearsay on the possibility of it not being an accident, the police department is treating it as suspicious pending the fire marshal's determination.
Lane said there's not much they can do and that it may take a couple weeks for the fire marshal to wrap up their investigation and name the cause of the fire. If the fire was accidental, then there would be nothing for the police department to investigate.
Lane also said that Spencer was initially outside the house after the fire started, but went back in to get his dog and never came back out.