A house fire in rural Webster County, MO left three siblings dead.
Firefighters from Fair Grove and other departments found heavy fire conditions.
"Many attempts were made but we could not gain access to where the victims were,” Fair Grove Fire Chief Randall Hoskins told OzarksFirst.
The victims were identified as Ethan Smythe, 16, Danny Smythe, 13, and Bella Smythe, 12. Their parents escaped the blaze.
“There are no fire hydrants so we have to bring the water. What compounds that challenge is these rural fire departments, us included, and all the Webster county fire departments, they’re really low on manpower and we have to dedicate a large number of our manpower to shuttle the water to us, which then limits our firefighters on scene that can actually fight the fire.” the chief said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but fire officials said it appears to be accidental.
“We really do see that smoke detectors save lives. They give you those crucial minutes to exit the structure. So check your smoke detectors and make sure you know how to get out of your house.”
