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The West Virginia Fire Marshal's office say 2003 was a deadly year for people
dying in fires in the Mountain State.
Between August 2002 to August 2003, 53 people died in fires in West Virginia.
That's compared to 36 the previous year.
State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis says a majority of those fires occurred in one or
two family dwellings, where no building codes are required.
Lewis says in the last three years, 179 people have died in West Virginia fires.
That places West Virginia in the top five states for fatal fires.
A majority of fatal fires are either homicide or suicide related, with a very few
being accidental.
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