The death of a woman found in a smoke-filled vehicle in Santa Maria last week has been ruled accidental.
Santa Maria firefighters responded to the call at around 12:08 p.m. Friday on West Orange Street.
Santa Maria fire inspector John Mata says the woman had already been pulled out of the vehicle and was on the ground when firefighters arrived. Life-saving measures were performed for about 40 minutes by first responders but were unsuccessful.
Mata says the person who opened the vehicle was overcome with smoke before initiating the the call for help. A homemade device consisting of a torch with a makeshift heater attached to it was also located along with smoldering blankets.
Fire officials say the woman is not listed as a resident at the address but they were told she’d been there for a few months.
Her name was not immediately releasable.
The death is also being investigated by the county coroner’s office.
