Newspapers: Article Leonard W. Dalbec dies while burning leaves: The Dalles, Wasco Co., Oregon

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The Dalles Chronicle   November 4, 2002
Elderly Man Dies After Attempt to Burn Leaves
by Neita Cecil of the Chronicle         Front page
 
    An 84-year-old man died Saturday while trying to burn leaves.
    Wasco County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Rick Eiesland said
Leonard W. Dalbec, of 5835 Highway 30, "was burning some leaves and accidentally 
caught on fire and died."
    "It appears to be an accident," Eiesland said, although he is requesting an
autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
    "He accidentally got some diesel on him. [It] caught him on fire, he fell to
the ground and basically the shock probably killed him; at least that's what it 
appears to be at this point," Eiesland said.
    One of Dalbec's six daughters "went by the house...to check on him" and found
him dead, Eiseland said. The sheriff's office received a call about the death at
5:15 p.m. Saturday.
    Dalbec, who lived in the area at least 50 years, lived alone at the house. He
said family members had been "talking about" having Dalbec move into an assisted
living facility. Eiesland will ask that toxicology tests be done. The tests look
for the presence of drugs or alcohol in the system and the results take three to
four weeks. Dalbec retired from construction work, and was licensed to work with
dynamite, said Eiesland, who actually worked for Dalbec in the 1970s.
 
Written permission to reprint given by The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, Oregon