Ersatz elevator- go to the chapter picture when they get out of the long tunnel. There is a picture of a man and a woman (presumably Mr and Mrs Baudelaire.)
Bad beginning- opening picture- the man driving the firetruck has a long moustache, like Mr.B. in the EE picture, and kind of looks like him. So, Mr.B did not die from the fire, unless he burned himself.
The daily punctilio, which is not a very reliable newspaper that tends to prevaricate, published his death.
Possibility of Mr.B being mentioned in the snicket file-
1/7 2 snicket parents, 2 quagmire parents, quigley, 2 baudelaire parents.
LSUA:
Chance of Charles baudelaire being the survivor in the snowman of zombies in the snow by gustav sebald- 50% inside the coded letter (pg 61) basically it says to montgomery mongomery to bring the three children (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) to the place where the film takes place there is a survivor of the fire, your new assistant is not one of us, beware!
That is a pretty good chance he is alive.
If, in fact, Mrs. Baudelaire is Mr.Lemony Snicket's sister, she is probably alive, because in various books by LS he interrupts and says, "My dear sister, I am heading North to try to find you" etc. tell me what you think of my theory!