MAN CRITICALLY INJURED IN HOUSE FIRE IMPROVING

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The condition of a Cape Girardeau man, who was critically injured this month in a house fire that killed three people, has improved.

A spokesperson for the Barnes Medical Center burn unit in St. Louis said the condition of James Probst, 44, of 731 North Spanish, was upgraded from critical to serious.

Probst had been in critical condition with second-degree burns over 20 percent of his body. He has also suffered from the effects of smoke inhalation since he was admitted to the burn center on March 8.

Probst was injured when he unsuccessfully attempted to rescue his two daughters and a friend, who were sleeping in upstairs bedrooms, when the fire occurred at about 4:30 a.m. All three died from smoke inhalation.

Fire department officials said the fire was probably caused by an electrical short in wiring near the front of the house or by a cigarette being dropped onto furniture near the front stairs to the second floor.