Man Killed in Pineapple Inn Fire Identified

Police have identified the man who was killed on Coddington Highway early Sunday morning as 55-year-old Steve Francis, a former Westerly resident.

Francis had been staying at the motel for the last few months, police officials said.

The fire broke out at 12:11 a.m. Sunday.

According to a release from the Newport Police Department, Room 115, which Francis had been staying in, was fully engulfed in flames when police arrived.

Motel guests “made heroic attempts” to rescue Francis from the room, reports said. At one point, bystanders were able to reach him through the bathroom window, but were not able to pull him out.

Efforts to enter through the door and rescue Francis were unsuccessful due to heavy fire and smoke.

The cause of death remains under investigation by the State Medical Examiner's Office and Newport Police.

The cause of the fire is also still under investigation.