Woman dies in house fire

Cathy Scott

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 2:24 a.m.

An elderly Las Vegas woman perished in a house fire early today after being overcome by smoke.

William Sherwood, 58, told investigators that he had been out. He returned home about 4 a.m. to find smoke in the small single-story house he shared with his wife, Jackie Sherwood, 68, at 7637 Via Paseo Ave., near Buffalo Drive and Cielo Lane.

Sherwood went back into the smoke-filled house three times in search of his wife, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

When he found his wife lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, Szymanski said Sherwood carried her out and tried to revive her.

"When we pulled up to the scene, we found him in the front yard performing CPR on her," Szymanski said.

Szymanski described the smoke as "thick and black."

Jackie Sherwood died shortly after arriving at University Medical Center's trauma unit, Szymanski said. Paramedics said she died from smoke inhalation. She did not suffer any burns.

The fire, the cause of which is being investigated, started in the bedroom.

"That was the only damage," Szymanski said. "It was a small fire with a lot of smoke."