A “compromised” lamp power cord is likely to blame for the house fire that killed 88-year-old Montecito resident Lorraine Schmerzler in April, authorities said. An investigation ruled out all other accidental and natural causes, and the cord found in the area where the fire started showed evidence of arcing, officials with the Montecito Fire Protection District explained. When responders arrived to Schmerzler’s home at 27 Loureyro Road, they found the house fully engulfed in flames. Schmerzler’s body was discovered just inside her front door.
