By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

MILFORD - Smoking sparked a fire Monday in a 12-unit apartment building that left one man dead and injured two other people, fire officials said on Tuesday.

The fire in the Edgecombe Drive building heavily damaged one apartment and caused smoke damage throughout the structure. The damage estimate is $40,000, Milford Community Fire Department Chief John Cooper said.

The damaged basement apartment was where firefighters found the body of Franklin Kennedy, 72, late Monday morning, the chief said. Mr. Kennedy lived alone and was found in the bathroom.

The preliminary cause of death is smoke inhalation, said Darrell Hawkins, an investigator for the Clermont County sheriff's office.

"We're just waiting on the autopsy report,'' Mr. Hawkins said. "He had a really extensive health history. He had a pretty extensive heart history.''

Mr. Kennedy also may have had cancer in remission and emphysema, Mr. Hawkins said.

Two people also suffered smoke inhalation. One woman was taken to a local hospital and a man was treated at the scene.

Officials would not disclose whose careless smoking sparked the fire.

Although there was one death and two injuries, officials praised the actions of two men who were driving by the building when they saw the smoke and alerted residents to the fire.

Email daveck@fuse.net