The man whose remains were found in the rubble of the Driftwood Inn was in the province on what the family calls a “dream” moose-hunting trip.

Seventy-seven-year-old Eugene Earl Spoon of Winfield, Kansas, who was described as an avid hunter, had travelled to Newfoundland to bag his very first moose — which he managed to do before his tragic death.

The moose meat will be donated to the needy.

Spoon recently lost his wife, whose body was found last Christmas after she was reported missing.

Initial reports indicated that all the guests and staff of the Driftwood were believed to have been accounted for, but some time after the fire, Spoon was reported missing.

Investigators confirmed that his remains were located at the fire scene earlier this week.

His cause of death is now in the hands of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, while the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, the provincial government is declining specific comment on the situation.

Opposition MHA’s want to know, among other things, whether fire alarms and smoke detectors went off. One of the patrons, Melinda Sharpe, went through the motel banging on doors to wake people. Her actions may have saved lives.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety says the fire is an active investigation, therefore it cannot speak to detail.

Responsibility for the operation, inspection and maintenance of fire protection and detection systems rests with property owners, municipalities, and various components of government.