The Oct. 26 fire in a self-storage unit that killed a 24-year-old woman in Reading’s 18th Ward was determined to be accidental, city Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss said Thursday.
The fire marshal’s office determined that the use of candles near ordinary combustibles in the storage unit caused the fire.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the family and loved ones of this young lady,” Searfoss said.
Kyra C. Bernstel died in the fire in the first block of North Angelica Street, about a half-block east of Lancaster Avenue.
Reading firefighters discovered her body after putting out a predawn blaze that engulfed a row of lockers.
Searfoss said video footage confirmed what other people who rented lockers told investigators — that Bernstel had been using her unit as a temporary residence.
“Obviously, that type of building is not designed for humans to occupy,” Searfoss said. “There’s no bathroom facilities, no running water, there’s no electric.”
He added it’s common for the fire department to encounter conditions indicating people have been living unit storage lockers or buildings not designed as residences.