June 24, 2002 FLORISSANT, Colo. (AP) -- A woman's death three days after the start of Colorado's largest wildfire has been blamed on a severe asthma attack brought on by smoke, the first death directly related to the blaze.
Ann Dow, 50, died of an asthma attack and smoke inhalation, according to her death certificate and her doctor.
Dow collapsed June 11 after telling her husband she couldn't breathe. Her husband, Gary Dow, said she suffered from asthma most of her life and carried an inhaler. She told him shortly before she collapsed that the inhaler wasn't helping.
Dow was pronounced dead in a hospital emergency room. It was unclear whether Terry Lynn Barton, the U.S. Forest Service employee charged with starting the 137,000-acre blaze southwest of Denver, would face additional charges in Dow's death.
"It's too early to say anything," said Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Suthers. "We'd need to evaluate all the documentation before having any further comment."
Gary Dow said Sunday he believed that Barton's "deliberate actions" caused his wife's death. He said he plans to explore legal options.
"This is what started it all," he said. "My wife is now no longer with me."
The fire burned to within 13 miles of the Dow home near Florissant, and wind has carried heavy plumes of smoke to the area. Some neighbors said they couldn't see across the road the night Dow died.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
