RICHMOND, Mo. — An early morning house fire Tuesday morning in Richmond, Missouri claimed the lives of three people, including a 12-year-old child.
The Richmond Police Department responded to the structure fire just before 4:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of West Lexington Street.
When police arrived, the home was fully engulfed by flames. Shortly after, Richmond, Lawson and Lexington fire crews arrived.
As fire crews were working to put the fire out, first responders located three victims within the home.
Police detectives along with Ray County deputies responded to the scene to investigate the incident.
The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office has been requested to help in determining the cause of the fire.
The state fire marshal’s office said the fire started in the back of the house in an enclosed porch. A generator was used to run space heaters and there was a propane heater. There was one working smoke detector and cigarettes located at the scene.
Nothing is considered suspicious at this time.
Richmond R-XVI School District released a letter to families Tuesday that one of the victims was a sixth grader identified as Maddox Forson. The school district is offering extra counselors for students at this time.
Family tells FOX4 Maddox’s father Marcus Forson was also killed in the fire along with a woman who has not officially been identified at this time.
“My daughter called me, one of the neighbors had called her,” witness and neighbor Michael Caylor said. “They thought my house was on fire, unfortunately it wasn’t, because my house was empty.”
“The firemen did the best job they could, but it was such an inferno I don’t think there’s anything anybody could’ve done,” Caylor said. “He was a good kid, a really good kid, everybody seemed to love him. By the time I saw it, the flames were so high they were above this house. It was completely on fire by the time I saw it.”
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The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“We want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this morning’s tragedy,” the police department said Tuesday afternoon. “Our thoughts are with them right now as we all try to make sense of this tragedy.”
A GoFundMe page is raising money for funeral expenses.
