Dothan fire victim identified

Police and fire investigators are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding a storage shed fire that apparently resulted in the death of a Dothan woman.

Firefighters responded to a call of a storage shed on fire just off Roberta Avenue, near Cherokee Avenue, around 11 a.m. on Tuesday. After the fire was extinguished, the body of Vicky Jo Yeager, 55, was discovered inside the shed.

Police investigators responded to the scene and simultaneous fire and death investigations were started. Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd said a preliminary examination indicated Yeager died as the result of fume inhalation and flames, but that a full autopsy would be conducted.

Byrd said Yeager lived on Chickasaw Street, but used the residence on Roberta Avenue as a base for a food catering business.

Interim Dothan Police Chief Larry Draughon said the department is working in conjunction with the state fire marshal in the investigation. He declined to speculate on a possible cause of death.

“Right now we just have a fire where a body was discovered,” Draughon said. “Nothing stands out right now, but by the nature of it, it would be difficult to say anything without a detailed observation. By the time we get through, we hope to have an answer. It could take a month or more.”

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 10:58 a.m. after receiving a 911 call.

Courtney Henderson, a receptionist at Tekniques hair salon, which is across the alley from the home, saw the fire and called police.

“I was in here and I looked out the window and saw it burning,” she said. “I didn’t hear anything.”