MAN REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION FOLLOWING FIRE

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The father of two teen-agers who died in a house fire Friday in Cape Girardeau remained in critical condition at a St. Louis hospital late Monday.

A spokesperson for the Barnes Medical Center's burn unit said James Probst, 44, of Cape Girardeau, was in serious but stable condition as a result of second-degree burns over 20 percent of his body and pulmonary injuries from the effects of smoke inhalation.

Probst was injured around 4:30 a.m. Friday when he tried to rescue his two daughters and their friend from the family's burning house at 731 North Spanish.

Probst escaped from the fire without injury, but went back inside after discovering his daughters, Lisa Probst, 16, her stepsister, Linda Terry, 18, and their friend, Ruby Simmons, 18, of Flat River, were still in their second-floor bedrooms.

All three died of smoke inhalation, said Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of what is described as the worst residential fire in the city in 46 years, Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Gene Hindman met Monday with firefighters from the four fire stations to review the fire.

Hindman said: "Some of the men felt that maybe they didn't do all they could have done. I guess they were second-guessing themselves or having second thoughts about their actions and procedures at the fire.

"We all set down in a group and discussed the fire and critiqued the action that was taken. I think the men, as a whole, came away from the meeting feeling a little bit better knowing they had done all that was humanly possible. But you always feel you could have done better."

The chief said he felt the men did the best they could. "We're not superhumans; we're trained to do a job, but we all have limitations," he said.

Hindman said when the first fire crew arrived at the burning house it was already probably too late to save the girls.

"The fire may have been free-burning for at least 30 minutes before it was discovered, according to eyewitness reports, and was probably smoldering for several hours after the adults went to bed at 1 a.m.," the chief said. "There was too much smoke in the house by the time we got there."

Hindman said if working smoke detectors had been in the house there is no doubt the girls could have escaped before the smoke and toxic fumes reached lethal levels in their bedrooms.