Coroner: Smoke Inhalation Killed at Least 5 of 10 in Fire

A Pennsylvania State trooper and members of the Luzerne County Coroner Office stand in front of an early morning fatal fire at 733 First Street in Nescopeck, Pa., on Aug. 5, 2022. Jimmy May/Bloomsburg Press Enterprise via AP

NESCOPECK, Pa.—Authorities say at least half of the 10 people found dead after an early morning fire in northeastern Pennsylvania died of smoke inhalation.

The Luzerne County coroner’s office said autopsies on the victims of the early Friday blaze in Nescopeck began Saturday. Examinations by Dr. Gary Ross were completed on three women, one man and a girl, the office said in a news release Saturday afternoon.