Norman Oswald was killed in a house fire on Fallen Timber Road in Wetzel County Nov. 17.

West Virginia Fire Marshal Macky Ayersman of Fairmont investigated the incident and has ruled it as from an undetermined origin.

The victim was a resident of the house for approximately one year and his son and daughter-in-law also resided there. However, the couple had left at approximately 3:07 p.m., approximately one hour before the call reporting the blaze was placed to the Wetzel County 911 Center.

“He was a collector of guns and his bedroom was full of guns,” said Wetzel County Medical Examiner Carla McBee. “It appeared, there’s no way we can know for sure, but it appeared that we was trying to save some of his guns.”

An autopsy has revealed that he died of a stress heart attack.

Only half of the structure was damaged by fire. The living room was still intact, said McBee, “That room wasn’t even touched with fire at all.”

However, there was smoke damage throughout. In fact there were two large family pets and a bird in a cage found dead in the living room.