KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Investigators are still working to reach a conclusion on what caused a fire that took the life of an elderly Kelseyville man earlier this month.

The fire, which occurred early on April 1, destroyed a home in the 10000 block of Fairway Drive in the Clear Lake Rivieras.

The home's resident, 85-year-old Preben Rauholt, is believed to be the victim, although Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said an official identification of the body found in the home is still pending.

Kelseyville Fire Protection District firefighters found the body in the back of the home in a hallway between a bathroom and a bedroom. The blaze's origin was believed to be located in the home's living room, as Lake County News has reported.

Bauman said preliminary reports indicate that the cause of the fire is unknown and that Rauholt died from smoke inhalation.

“We are waiting for some other test results to come in, relating to toxicology screening for the victim and some items being tested for the fire investigation,” Bauman said.

The sheriff's office previously stated that it had deemed the fire's circumstances as suspicious and therefore was treating it as a possible homicide.

However, Bauman said Tuesday, “At this point we have not identified any evidence of criminal intent with regards to the fire.”

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