A fire that tore through a home in the 18500 block of Deer Run Road early Thursday killed one resident and two dogs, and state investigators have now determined the blaze was accidental. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. in rural Laclede County, near Lebanon, leaving a second occupant and other household pets to escape without injury.
Initial reports in the hours after the fire left the cause unclear as investigators worked to determine what sparked the flames. That uncertainty has since been resolved: the Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office concluded that the fatal bedroom fire was accidental in nature, according to KRMS Radio.
Firefighters Found Victim and Pets in Bedroom
Crews from the Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District arrived to find the fire concentrated in a bedroom and attacked it from the outside, quickly knocking down the flames before making entry. Once inside, firefighters discovered the deceased victim on a bed and two dead dogs in the bedroom, the station reports. Despite heavy smoke and extensive heat damage, the fire stayed contained to the bedroom and an adjoining hallway.
A second occupant of the home, along with other household pets, managed to escape the burning structure without injury, according to the fire district's own account. The fire was contained to the bedroom and a small hallway area.
Seven Departments Answered the Mutual-Aid Call
Fighting the fire required help well beyond the home district. Seven neighboring fire departments provided mutual aid during the response, including the Bennett Spring, City of Lebanon, Sleeper-Stoutland, Eldridge, Tri-County, St. Robert, and Mid County fire protection districts, per the Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District. The response involved departments from the surrounding area.
The Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District responds across unincorporated areas surrounding Lebanon.
State Fire Marshal Determines Cause
The Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was accidental.
Lebanon has faced catastrophic fire loss before. In June 2018, a mobile home fire in the area claimed the lives of five young children, an incident in which the Lebanon Fire Department and Missouri Department of Public Safety said the cause remained under investigation, according to the Ozark County Times. Thursday's fire adds another painful chapter to the region's history with deadly residential blazes, even as officials now have a definitive answer about what caused it.
