Woman who died in South Hill fire identified

The woman who died one week ago in a South Hill house fire has been identified as 65-year-old Lynn Zahniser, according to the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The fire at 608 W. 27th Ave. was reported in the early morning hours of April 9. Firefighters pulled Zahniser and her two dogs from the fire, but all three died at the scene, according to the Spokane Fire Department.

Zahniser’s cause and manner of death are pending, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Fire officials were unable to determine the cause of the fire, but they said smoke alarms in the home were not working at the time of the blaze.

Investigators said the fire started in the front room of the home.

“However, due to extensive fire damage, the large number of contents within the room, and the inability to interview the victim, there was insufficient information to identify a cause conclusively,” a fire department news release said.

An unattended candle in the living room caused a fire nearly two years ago at the same home, according to the fire department. There were no injuries in that fire.