Thirty-seven year old Elba resident John Frederick Cotter died this morning during a fire at his home.
The Elba Fire Department responded to the fire at 754 Reynolds Street at 12:20 AM. No smoke detectors or alarms were present in the home at the time of the fire. Mr. Cotter’s body has been taken to the Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy.
Investigators from the Elba Fire and Police Department, as well as the State Fire Marshals Office, place the room of origin as the kitchen. Unattended cooking appears to be the cause for the fire.