Bollinger County man, dog dead following fire

One man and a dog were killed when a mobile home north of Marble Hill caught fire early Thursday morning, authorities said.

Fire chief Calvin Troxell of the Woodland Fire Protection District said firefighters were notified of the fire around 2:30 a.m. Thursday and responded to the residence, located about three miles north of Marble Hill on Highway 51.

A neighbor who requested anonymity told a reporter at the scene they called 911 after seeing the glow from the fire through their window.

Troxell, who also serves as Bollinger County deputy coroner, declined to identify the victim when reached by phone Thursday afternoon but said an autopsy was scheduled for Friday. The dog who perished was a chihuahua, according to the neighbor.

No one else was in the residence at the time of the fire, Troxell said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Troxell said, adding that a Missouri State fire Marshall had visited the scene.

The North Bollinger County Fire District assisted the Woodland Fire Protection District in extinguishing the fire. Though Troxell said firefighters were able to knock the fire down "immediately," he added that the mobile structure was already damaged well beyond the point of repair.

Banner Press journalist Julie Pruitt contributed to this report.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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