One dead after early morning house fire

Authorities say a Poplar Bluff man died of apparent smoke inhalation and his son was treated for the same after their home caught fire early Friday morning.

Larry Short, 80, was pronounced dead at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, according to Butler County Coroner Andy Moore, who was notified at about 3 a.m.

“Right now, no autopsy is scheduled; we believe smoke inhalation” is Short’s cause of death, Moore said.

Larry Short, 80, died of apparent smoke inhalation following a fire at his Highway T residence Friday morning.DAR/Paul Davis

Short’s son, Ronald, also reportedly was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional, where he apparently was treated for smoke inhalation and released.

A 911 call came into the Butler County Sheriff’s Department at 1:38 a.m. to report the fire at the Shorts’ 5467 Highway T residence.

“There was heavy fire at the rear of the house when the first truck arrived,” said Butler County Fire Chief Bob Fredwell. “The fire damaged the rear of the house and also into the kitchen area of the house.”

The back deck on the one-story house was “pretty well burnt,” Fredwell said. “ … The rest of the house had real heavy smoke. That’s what got him, the smoke.”

Ronald Short, according to Fredwell, was covered with black soot.

At this time, Fredwell said, firefighters are not sure if the fire started on the back deck and moved into the kitchen or if the fire started in the kitchen and went out.

The cause of the fire, he said, is being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

When firefighters arrived, Fredwell said, Butler County Cpl. Derek House was performing CPR on the elder Short, who was laying on the ground in the front yard.

Larry Short had been dragged from his home by his son and a neighbor, according to Butler County Chief Deputy Wes Popp.

Ronald Short’s girlfriend “woke up; the dogs were going nuts,” Popp explained. “She in turn woke (Ronald Short) up.

“They opened the bedroom door and saw the house full of smoke. They saw dad laying in the hallway.”

Robert Short and his girlfriend, identified as Robin Knapp, attempted to use their cellphones to call for help, but apparently did not have service.

“They went to a neighbor to call 911 and (the neighbor) helped drag his dad out,” Popp said. “They performed CPR until House arrived and took over.”

House continued CPR until emergency-medical-services arrived and took over, Popp said.