The April 13 house fire that claimed the life of Whidbey Island activist Wendy Campbell Strang DeWinter was sparked by an overloaded extension cord plugged into a oil-filled heater, fire investigators concluded.

DeWinter perished and a man was injured in the early-morning fire at her home in the Dugualla Bay Heights neighborhood of North Whidbey.

Overloaded extension cords are a common cause of fires in all kinds of homes, said Mike Brown, deputy chief of North Whidbey Fire and Rescue.

In DeWinter’s home, items including newspapers and cardboard were stacked over the extension cord. Brown said that while the proliferation of such combustible items on DeWinter’s property didn’t necessarily cause the fire, it probably contributed to the speed and heat.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that overheating of extension cords is usually caused by overloading or connecting appliances that consume more wattage than the cord can handle.

“Extension cords should only be used temporarily,” the commissioner reports. “Protect young children by keeping them away from extension cords and unplugging the cords when not in use.”

DeWinter was remembered as an intrepid activist, a pet rescue advocate and a gifted photographer.