A local man died Saturday at a St. Louis hospital where he was being treated for extensive burns following an earlier fire at his son’s body shop.
Thomas Sample, 76, died at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, according to Butler County Coroner Andy Moore.
Sample had been flown directly there Friday for treatment of burns over more than 80 percent of his body, Butler County Fire Chief Bob Fredwell said.
Firefighters, he said, had responded at 4:41 p.m. to a report of some type of fire at the body shop, located on County Road 461 near Highway M. Emergency-medical-services personnel also responded.
“Upon arrival, the fire was already out,” Fredwell said. “Apparently, he was putting something in the (wood) stove, and it flashed out on him,” catching his clothes and a nearby blanket on fire.
The shop, Fredwell said, had smoke in it, but no additional fire was found.