SCOTT CITY MAN DIES IN BLAZE

SCOTT CITY -- Authorities said no operating smoke detector was found in the living room of a mobile home where the body of Troy Allen Dover, 32, of 818 Seventh Street East, was found on Saturday.

Dover died after an early morning fire swept through his mobile home on Scott City's east side.

Scott City Fire Chief Les Crump said a smoke detector was found at the other end of Dover's mobile home, but none was in the kitchen, where the fire originated, or in the living room, where Dover was apparently asleep when the fire broke out.

Crump said the cause of the fire was probably something left on the stove that ignited. He speculated Dover may have gone into the living room to lie down and fell asleep.

"We received the fire call at 12:39 a.m. Saturday," said Dover. "When the first responding unit arrived at the scene, the living room and kitchen area were fully involved in flame and smoke," Crump said. "The fire crew making the interior attack on the fire in the living room discovered the victim's body on the living room floor."

Dover was taken from the burning mobile home and pronounced dead at the scene by Scott County Coroner Scott Amick.

Crump said the fire call was delayed because of the late hour. "It had a real good head start by the time we got there," Crump said.

It's believed neighbors who reported the fire were finally awakened by the sound and illumination of the fire and called the fire department.

Crump said Saturday's fire points out the need for smoke detectors in the kitchen and living room areas of mobile homes and residences. "Smoke detectors should be located in the hallway next to bedrooms on each floor and in the kitchen, living room, and basement," he said.

Saturday's fire death is believed to be the first in Scott City since the 1970s, Crump said. In that fire, the chief said an infant died in a house fire at Second Street and Grand.