MOBILE HOME FIRE NEAR MINER KILLS THREE YOUTHS; SIBLINGS UNABLE TO ESCAPE BLOCKED DOOR

MINER -- A fire in a mobile home Wednesday killed three children who were unable to escape.

All that remained of Bill and Rebecca Beck's mobile home late Wednesday morning were smoldering ashes and charred rubble. Their three children died in the blaze.

The victims -- Bryan, 15, Kimberly, 12, and Donald Beck, 10, -- were sleeping inside the home when the fire began at 7:48 a.m. None of the children could escape, said Jerry Dockins, chief of the Miner Fire Protection District.

"They called their grandmother to say they saw smoke but couldn't find the door," Dockins said.

Both parents were at work when the fire broke out.

There was no smoke alarm in the home, which is about three miles south of Miner in New Madrid County.

The children's parents, who arrived soon after the fire was discovered, and neighbors tried to save them by prying the rear door open. But they couldn't get it open.

The mother received burns on her face, arms and hands. She was in stable condition Wednesday at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Her husband was not seriously injured.

State fire marshals said faulty wiring in the kitchen caused the blaze but blocked entrances made rescue attempts difficult for the volunteer firefighters. Cabinets covered the rear door inside the house and it was nailed shut from the outside.

The Becks had been living in the mobile home for about a year but did not own it.

Firefighters had to tear through the door and cabinets to reach the two youngest children, who were trapped in a back bedroom.

Both died from smoke inhalation despite firefighters' efforts to revive them, Dockins said.

He said: "It's probably the worst I've seen. We have very few fatality fires."

Dockins said since he became chief about 10 years ago, there have been three other fire fatalities in the Miner fire district.

Although the mobile home was destroyed, flames engulfed only the front half of it. It took firefighters 25 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

Since the fire was outside city limits but within the Miner Fire Protection District, there were no hydrants or water pumps nearby. Sikeston firefighters responded to a mutual-aid call for more water from the Miner department.

Neighbors phoned 911 after Rebecca Beck, the children's mother, called for help.

"Mrs. Beck came here screaming and crying," said Alisha Woods, a neighbor and friend. "She said her house was on fire and the kids were inside. She needed someone to call 911."

Since there is no phone in the Woods' home, Alisha went to another neighbor's house to make the call.

"She lost her kids and everything," said Christie Woods, who attended Matthews schools with the Beck children.

Both Christie and Alisha watched as firefighters carried body bags out of the mobile home.

The Woods household was awakened by Beck's screams and pleas for help. "It's not a good thing to wake up to," said Martha Woods. She said the children were dead by the time firefighters reached them. "The smell of smoke seems like it lasts forever," said Woods.

Woods said she plans to install a smoke alarm in every room of her house. "Trailers go so easy and quick," she said. "She had three kids, and you can't get them back."

The Becks lost all they own in the blaze, and friends are trying to collect donations of food and clothing to help the couple. Steve Adams and Bill Beck work together at Redneck Trailer Supplies in Sikeston.

"They didn't have any life insurance or homeowners insurance," said Martha Adams, a friend. "They don't have any family around, so I told Steve we should do whatever we can to help."

Donations will be accepted and forwarded to the Becks. "We'll take anything, but no matter what you get nothing can replace your kids," Adams said.

Anyone interested in making a donation should call (573) 683-2630.

Fire Safety

-- Always keep a battery-operated smoke detector. Check the batteries periodically to make sure it still works. The best time to change batteries is during Daylight Savings Time each year.

-- Never lock yourself in or block entrances. Always keep an escape route open.

-- Create an escape plan in case of a fire. Practice the plan and make sure every family member knows how to get out and where to meet.

-- If there is a fire, never go back inside a burning building.

-- When you see smoke, crawl along the floor to escape. Smoke inhalation can be deadly.

-- Try to designate someone in the family to call 911 if there is an emergency. Know the correct address of the fire and tell firefighters from where you are calling.

Source: Sikeston Fire Department.