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December 18, 2007

Grease caused car fire in which body was found

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Leaking grease started the fire in the car in which a woman's body was found last week, according to the state Fire Marshal's office.

Grease leaking in the engine block caused the 2000 Subaru Forester to catch fire outside 86 Berry Hill Lane in Kingston, the Fire Marshal's office says.

Firefighters found the body of Katherine C. Helweg, who lived at that address, inside the car after they put out the fire shortly after 5:40 p.m. Dec. 11.

The state Medical Examiner’s office has not released a cause of death, but a spokeswoman there said it was expected to be issued as soon as tomorrow.

Investigators concluded that the car had been running for “a period of time” before catching fire, said Michael Sweeney, chief of investigations in the state Fire Marshal's office.

A mechanic explained that grease can ignite if it leaks from the boot surrounding the axles onto the exhaust manifold. Sweeney associated any leak with “normal wear and tear” experienced by a car that age.

“It was accidental,” Sweeney said.

“It’s certainly unusual,” he said, adding “She should have gotten out of the vehicle, but she became incapacitated and couldn’t get out.”

Helweg, 59, a special education teacher in the Chariho school district, suffered from diabetes, according to the police.

-- Journal staff writer Katie Mulvaney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 12:44 PM | Permalink

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