By Kyle Troutman
ktroutman@cherryroad.com
An 86-year-old Barry County man died on Oct. 15 after his mobile home caught fire and collapsed.
Trey Phillips, Jenkins Fire Department Chief, said crews were dispatched to the home on Farm Road 2150, five miles northeast of Cassville just before 2 p.m., with the initial report of smoke and flames showing from the structure, and possibly a person inside.
“When the units arrived, flames were coming through the roof, and we started an effort to suppress,” Phillips said. “A neighbor believed the occupant was home, possibly in the bedroom, so they showed us where that was and we focused on getting to that point. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful.
“We did our best to get in there and make the rescue happen, but unfortunately, it was not in the cards.”
Phillips said by the time the fire was suppressed enough to reach the room, the man inside had already died. The man’s identity was withheld by Phillips and Mike O’Connell, Missouri Department of Public Safety communications director.
“We contacted the Fire Marshal to come down and do an investigation on the cause, due to the fact there was a fatality on the scene and we were unsure of the origin of the fire,” Phillips said.
The structure was a total loss.
Units, including mutual aid from Butterfield and Cassville, left the scene at about 6 p.m., but they returned 30 minutes later for a rekindle and stayed two more hours. Another 6 a.m. rekindle on Oct. 16 brought crews back for 2-3 hours again.
“With the condition of the structure, it was not feasible to send anyone inside for overhaul, so we had to fight it from the exterior and couldn’t go in and put it out fully,” Phillips said. “The wind also played a factor in the rekindles.”
O’Connell said the investigation concluded the fire began in the living room, and the man who died was in the bedroom.
“The report notes the gentleman was a heavy smoker, but it does not conclude that is the cause,” O’Connell said. “Due to the structure’s collapse, no determination has been made on the cause. It is not considered suspicious.”
