12noon Tuesday (AP) — Fire officials have identified the person who died in a fire during the weekend in southwest Missouri.
The Southern Webster County Fire Department says 76-year-old Bessie Terrill died in the fire at her home near Diggins Sunday afternoon. A man escaped from the home with burns on the lower half of his body.
The state fire marshal says the fire apparently was accidental but investigators could not determine the cause because of the extent of damage to the home.
Oxygen tanks in the home exploded during the fire, causing minor injuries to three firefighters.
(AP) – Fire investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that killed one person and seriously injured another in southwest Missouri.
Webster County fire officials say the blaze broke out Sunday afternoon in a rural area south of Diggins.
One of the residents escaped but suffered severe burns. Another person was unable to escape and perished in the fire.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries when oxygen tanks inside the house exploded during the fire.
Authorities say the fire likely started in the front of the home but a cause is still unknown.