EASLEY — An Easley woman died after being trapped in a workshop closet during a fire Saturday afternoon.

According to Easley Fire Chief Butch Womack, Cheryl Kinsela, 47, and her husband Don were in the workshop behind their home at 131 Beverly Drive.

A fire started, and Don Kinela was able to escape from the workshop with minor injuries, Womack said.

Cheryl Kinsela was trapped inside a closet beneath the stairwell of the workshop.

Easley firefighters arrived on the scene and had the blaze under control within 15 minutes, Womack said.

Cheryl Kinsela was rescued from the closet with 3 minutes of the firefighters’ arrival.

The Kinselas were transported to Baptist Easley Hospital.

Cheryl Kinsela was pronounced dead at the hospital. Don Kinsela was released from the hospital Saturday after treatment for minor injuries.

The blaze did minor damage to the workshop, which should be salvageable, Womack said.

The fire did not threaten any other buildings on the property.

A Monday autopsy showed Cheryl Kinsela died from smoke inhalation, according to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley.

Full toxicology reports from the autopsy will be available in four to six weeks, Kelley said.

The fire is being investigated by the Easley Fire Department, the Easley Police Department and State Law Enforcement Division officials.

Womack said that SLED officials were called in due to the case involving a fatality, coupled with manpower issues because of the holiday weekend.

“Normally we would have enough manpower with our cause of origin team, but because of the holiday, we had to ask other agencies for help,” Womack said.

Easley Police Officer Jeremy Mills reported that upon responding to the scene, he could see thick smoke coming from the workshop.

Mills said that he found Don Kinsela lying on his back in front of the door with a garden hose, apparently trying to extinguish the fire.

Mills said that Don Kinsella seemed dazed, and the hair on his forehead, arms and eyebrows were singed.

Don Kinsela told Mills that his wife was inside and needed to be rescued, according to the report.

Mills told Don Kinsela that they would have to wait for fire department personnel to arrive, the report said.

Don Kinsela then tried to go back into the building, at which time Mills said he had to forcibly restrain him, according to the report.

Mills said that Don Kinsela told him that he had been working in the yard with a weed eater and was in the workshop putting fuel in the weed eater when it exploded, according to the report.

Don Kinsela told Mills that his wife was under the stairs getting some ceiling fans when the explosion happened, the report stated.

According to the report, Mills said that Don Kinsela said that he had told his wife to stay down and that he would not leave her.

Mills said the fire department then arrived and was able to get the blaze under control and rescue Cheryl Kinsela from the closet.