Leicester, North Carolina — Lt. Ross Dillingham of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s office said on Tuesday a man that had been reported missing had been killed in a brush fire. Lt. Dillingham told the Citizen-Times Pavel Bruskiy was found dead on property owned by his family in Leicester, NC, about 8 miles northwest of Ashevill, NC.
From the Citizen-Times:
A brush fire reported in the area Thursday evening, March 5, scorched between 5-7 acres, Dillingham said. Bruskiy was reported missing Thursday night.
“We learned that his vehicle was found over there on Pilgrim Drive,” Dillingham said. “We also learned that he liked to go over there, walk in the woods and clear brush on occasion.”
Evidence at the scene showed Bruskiy was in the process of burning brush when he lost control of the fire, Dillingham said. His body was found Friday.
“We don’t know yet if he was overcome by smoke, but he died as a result of the fire,” Dillingham said. “We don’t know if the fire got away too quick or what the exact circumstances were, but we determined it to be accidental.”
Authorities are waiting for results from an autopsy, Dillingham said.
