Fatal fire under investigation in Wayne County

One person, Michael E. Russell, 70, of Williamsville, is dead after fire engulfed his home Saturday morning. The Missouri State Fire Marshal is investigating and an autopsy is being performed. The cause of death and what actually started the fire are undetermined at this time.

Williamsville Fire Chief Bobby Hillis said fire crews responded within minutes to a call of a house fire at a single story home on Second Street in Williamsville, just after 6 a.m. The home was fully engulfed when crews arrived to the scene.

Fire crews battled the flames, extinguished the fire, went inside the home at 7:15 a.m. and found Russell.

All of Russell’s family was notified Saturday, so Hillis was able to release his name.

Siding on a neighboring mobile home also had some damage from the heat, but Hillis said, “We were able to save it.”

Crews emptied two trucks and then some to extinguish the blaze.

“We had our district pumper and our city pumper,” Hillis explained. “We used several thousand gallons on the fire. The reason I say that is because we dumped the tanks of both pumpers and that’s almost 2,000 gallons or so. We then hooked to the hydrants and we pumped.”

He added, “We’re a volunteer group. I had 11 firefighters on scene. I’ve got a pretty good group of guys. I got 21 on my department. I usually get at least half or better of them there at every fire.”

The weekend was complicated by four other calls, all brush fires started by residents burning trask.

Hillis said, “We were wore out...I finally posted ‘People, stop burning. It is dry.’ If we hadn’t got a little rain today, I was going to the commission meeting tomorrow and say ‘Hey, let’s do a burn ban for Wayne County.’”

A burn ban is already in effect in Carter County.