Fumigation probably caused woman's death, state experts say.

Byline: Winston Ross The Register-Guard

FLORENCE - State pesticide experts say it probably was bug spray that caused the death of a 76-year-old Florence woman last summer.

They're continuing to investigate whether Eugene-based Swanson's Pest Management broke any laws when it fumigated Florence Kolbeck's home.

Kolbeck died of a heart attack June 29, a few hours after a Swanson's technician sprayed the house with a mixture of two products that aren't very toxic to mammals, according to investigators.

But one of those ingredients, when inhaled, can cause respiratory irritation and abnormally rapid heartbeats. The state found that Kolbeck's history of significant heart disease, and poor ventilation in her home, contributed to her death.

Minutes after she and her husband, Fred Kolbeck, re-entered their home that day, they began choking and fell to the floor. Fred Kolbeck tried giving his wife mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but she was choking and spitting too much, he said at the time. He called 911. The officers and paramedics who arrived on scene also were affected, and driven out of the home, by the fumes.

Kaci Agle, coordinator of the state's pesticide program, said it was the first known case of a person being poisoned by pesticides in Oregon.

She said that the levels of pesticide in Kolbeck's body weren't much greater than they would be in a normal human, which is why the cause of death wasn't definite. The state also found that the company used the appropriate amount of chemicals and the right kind of equipment for the job.

But there's a question about whether the technician properly ventilated the home afterward, as is legally required according to the chemicals' labels, Agle said.

"More ventilation might have played a role in reducing exposure," Agle said. "Pesticide labels are legally binding and the applicator is bound to follow the labels, which has language that ventilation should be conducted prior to reopening the residence."

Steve Fisher, Swanson's general manager, said he didn't plan to dispute the findings. His review of the case showed that the technician sprayed the home as he normally would, he said. The company's business hasn't been affected by the incident so far, Fisher said.

"We're just going to take their report at face value," Fisher said. "Unfortunate things happen in just about every walk of life."

Fred Kolbeck said he hasn't seen the report yet, but he has contacted an attorney and is evaluating his legal options.

"I just take it one day at a time," he said. "As long as I keep busy, it takes my mind off of this tragic situation."

Winston Ross can be reached at [phone] or [e-mail].