Dexter man killed in overnight fire

DEXTER, Mo. -- A Dexter man died just after midnight Tuesday night in a house fire, apparently of smoke inhalation.

According to Dexter Fire Chief Al Banken, J.H. "Bo" Taylor, 77, was found dead on the kitchen floor of a residence at 714 W. Oak St. after the fire department received a call from a neighbor reporting that the house was on fire.

"We received the call at 12:15 a.m." Banken said, "and when we arrived the fire was contained in the front on the home. We found Mr. Taylor on the kitchen floor of the home and he was expired when we reached him."

A Dexter, Mo., man died from apparent smoke inhalation following a fire at this home. (Noreen Hyslop/The Daily Statesman)

Banken said the man was known to have typically slept on the couch in the front living room of the home, and it was surmised that he awoke to find the home on fire and likely made an attempt to exit the home through the back door on the east side of the house.

"We can only assume that in the thick smoke, he became disoriented," Banken said, "and he collapsed on the floor of the kitchen while attempting to locate the rear door."

Firefighters were on the scene for over two hours. According to Banken, although the home sustained major smoke damage, he believed it to be repairable.

According to Banken, there was no evidence of a smoke alarm existing in the home.

"There was no alarm sounding when we arrived," he said, "and we did not find one in the area of the fire."

The State Fire Marshal from Cape Giardeau County was scheduled to be in Dexter Wednesday morning to begin an investigation into the origin of the fatal fire.

Taylor's death marked the first fire fatality in the city of Dexter in several years, Banken affirmed.