Woman’s Death in Fire Probed as a Homicide

The death of a 79-year-old woman in a fire that raced through her San Fernando home is under investigation as a possible homicide, police said Wednesday.

Yaeko (Mary) Okui was found dead in the kitchen of her home in the 700 block of Coronel Street after the fire was extinguished about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Police said they would not know if the woman was killed by falling material in the home or smoke inhalation until an autopsy is completed later this week.

“We are working it as a homicide,” said Police Lt. Rico Castro. “We have a fire that we know started on the outside of the house. We have witnesses who saw a lit object thrown against the house.”

Castro said the witnesses are neighborhood children who saw an unidentified man throw a burning object at the house.

Authorities said the fire spread quickly because yarn, clothing and other combustible materials were stored throughout the home. Police said Okui, who lived alone, apparently had collected the materials over several years.

“She collected yarn and material . . . ,” Castro said. “She was a seamstress, so she had this stuff stacked literally to the ceiling. There were trenches and tunnels for going through the house. It was like this in the garage, the kitchen, the bedrooms, everywhere.”

Damage from the fire was estimated at $50,000.