One dies in Tuesday night fire on Scott Boulevard, witness speaks out
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
One person died in a Tuesday night duplex fire in the 10 block of Scott Boulevard, according to a press release from the Columbia Fire Department.
The name and age of the victim was not released. The victim was initially found in the home and was brought to an area hospital while in critical condition before they succumbed to their injuries, the release states.
A cat was also found dead in the home. A cause of the fire has not been revealed.
ABC 17 News reached out to CFD for more information.
Boone County Joint Communications sent an alert at 8:31 p.m. stating that a portion of Scott Boulevard was closed because of the fire.Â
DJ Lynch said he and his wife were driving along Scott Blvd. when his wife began to see thick smoke coming from the windows of the home. Lynch recalls smelling something "funny," and seeing black smoke and knew he needed to get out of his vehicle and help.
Lynch said he arrived at the home and knocked on the door of the next door neighbor's home. Lynch said the neighbors told him they believed their neighbor was still inside and trapped.
Lynch said he, along with neighbors knocked down the door of the victim but thick smoke made getting inside the home difficult. However, Lynch said he was determined to get inside.
"I kept trying to get in there and I kept getting things of smoke down my lungs," Lynch said. "There was no way for me to even crawl on the floor to try and find him because it was so thick and massive."
Lynch said he remembers trying to get inside the home three or four times, but the smoke inside kept growing thicker, adding that at one point he saw visible flames. The conditions lead to his eyes burning, which led to his vision becoming blurry, he said.
Lynch said he's proud of himself for trying to save the person, but still ponders what more he could have done to save them.
"I'm still beating myself up because I feel like if I would have gotten to the victim sooner, he probably would've had a better chance of living," Lynch said.
