Mar 29, 2022
Photo by Dan Kohler A firefighter is pictured last week at the scene of a fire in the town of Gerry.
GERRY — An investigation into a fire that claimed the life of a Sinclairville man last week remains ongoing.
More information regarding the blaze, reported early Thursday at 4200 Route 380 in the town of Gerry, was provided Monday by Chautauqua County Undersheriff Rich Telford. He said the fire is not believed to be suspicious in nature, though an exact cause has not yet been released.
Telford confirmed Monday that Wayne Wright Jr. died in the fire. The 51-year-old resided in Sinclairville.
According to Telford, Wright was visiting two other individuals who lived at the Route 380 property, described as a trailer.
“At the time of the fire, Wayne was visiting and asleep on a couch,” Telford said Monday. “Two other individuals, who did reside at that address, were able to exit the trailer. The other two individuals attempted to re-enter the trailer to help Wright, but the fire was too intense.”
He added, “This mobile home, like so many, had metal siding, metal roof and thinner construction materials, which makes the fire burn a lot faster than a typical house fire. We do not believe it to be suspicious but we are continuing our investigation into the cause.”
First responders were alerted to the fire around 2:45 a.m. Crews from Gerry, Fluvanna, Falconer, Maple Springs, Ellery Center and Sinclairville responded to the scene.
In a news release, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office said the body of a man was located inside the residence and later pronounced dead.
Wright, according to his obituary, is survived by his wife, 10 children and several grandchildren.
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