Early Wednesday morning around 1:58am, the Dexter Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 300 block of Truitt Street in Dexter. Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire fully involved. Thirteen people were living in the residence at the time.
Tragicly, three individuals perished in the fire – a 43 year old female, a 13 year old female juvenile and a 5 year old female juvenile. Two additional adults were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
The Stoddard County Coroner released autopsy findings indicating that all three victims died as a result of smoke inhalation.
Dexter Fire Department Chief Don Seymore says the cause of the fire is under investigation but it appears the home did not have working smoke detectors at the time. Chief Seymore encourages everyone to use this a tragic reminder to ensure your smoke detectors are working properly.