Cause of Butte house fire under investigation

BUTTE (AP) — Fire officials in Butte are investigating a fire that caused extensive fire, smoke and water damage to a house less than two weeks after a man fell on cut glass and bled to death at the residence.

Fire Marshal John Lasky said the March 7 fire is suspicious “especially since we had the death there.”

The homeowners escaped the fire through the back door. Their two adult children, who also lived at the residence, were not home at the time.

A 32-year-old man died in the house on Feb. 24. Butte-Silver Bow County officials say Jeff Kraus fell into the glass from a broken window when he was too intoxicated to care for himself and bled to death from a cut on his left wrist.