Woman dies in Sunday apartment fire in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff woman died early Sunday morning as she tried to escape her burning apartment.

Butler County Coroner Jim Akers pronounced Kathy L. Lewis, 51, died at 4:20 a.m., an hour after Poplar Bluff firefighters had responded to Lewis' 414 Hazel St. apartment.

"She tried to make her way out the back door by the kitchen; that's where [firefighters] found her at," said fire chief Ralph Stucker. "She did try to get out."

Akers said Lewis' body was in "pretty good" condition and that an autopsy would not be needed. "We're not suspecting any type of foul play here."

Akers said blood was drawn for toxicology analysis.

Akers said the preliminary cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of smoke inhalation. "That will be confirmed after we get the toxicology back."

Akers said he has spoken to Lewis' family members, who report it was not unusual for her to be up at that time of night.

Lewis, he said, had a long list of medical problems, including emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and used oxygen.

Rod Hoelscher, an investigator with the State Fire Marshal's Office, said he was listing the cause of the fire as "careless smoking. I've ruled out all other accidental causes. I can't find any other cause."

The point of origin, according to Hoelscher, was on the couch, which had a foot across area that "burned clear through. Right at the edge, it is probable a cigarette (was dropped) and burned straight down."

Stucker said the fire "itself wasn't that bad. There was a lot of heat in the bedroom area, but all the fire was contained to the living room area."

The other three apartments, which were attached to Lewis', had no damage and their occupants were allowed to return within a couple of hours.

"When the guys went into the bedroom area, they couldn't see their hands in front of their face," Hoelscher said. "They searched and couldn't find her. They found her near the back door."

Stucker said Lewis had about 20 oxygen tanks throughout her apartment.

"A couple were at the right end of the couch [and] probably 10 more across the room," Hoelscher said. "Another was on an upholstered chair by the door that burned. It didn't go off."

Had any of the tanks ignited, Stucker said, firefighters would have had problems.

"If they would have, we would have had a lot bigger problem than what we ended up with," Stucker said.

Hoelscher agreed, indicating the bottles tend to "turn into rockets."