Man dies in fire, survived another blaze as a child

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Investigators were looking into a Jefferson County apartment fire Tuesday that killed a teenager a day earlier. Authorities identified the victim from the fire as Darryl Joseph Kalas Jr., 18, of Crystal City. Kalas survived another apartment fire 13 years ago that claimed the life of his younger brother. Investigators first believed the 4 a.m. fire on Monday at the Riverview Bend apartment complex was started by candles used in the apartment, which was without electricity after Kalas' mother was unable to pay the bill. After further investigation, they said they could not confirm the cause and would investigate the fire as suspicious. Detectives from the Major Case Squad, a group of the region's top investigators, were among those looking into the blaze. On Christmas Eve in 1992, Kalas and one brother, Christopher, escaped another fire in a family apartment in St. Louis.

But Kalas' 15-month-old brother Brandon, died in that blaze. At the time, investigators said it appeared the fire was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter. That child was not identified by name.

---

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com