KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A deadly fire in rural Johnson County, Missouri, claimed the lives of a man and his dog Friday afternoon.
Johnson County Fire Protection District crews were notified around 1 p.m. that half of a mobile home was on fire in the 900 block of Northwest 445 Road.
While firefighters worked to contain the blaze, the 65-year-old resident of the home, identified as Richard Coffman, reportedly re-entered the burning structure to retrieve a dog.
Responders located Coffman deceased inside the home, with the deceased dog nearby.
“Crews had difficulty gaining access to the property when they first arrived and had to overcome challenges to get equipment and water close to the burning mobile home,” a Johnson County Fire Protection District spokesperson said in a news release. “The location of the mobile home on the property, and simply the property, hindered the responder’s access. The mobile home was half engulfed when crews were able to begin searching and extinguishing the fire.”
Investigation into the cause of the fire is underway by the Missouri State Fire Marshal with assistance from the Johnson County Fire Investigation Unit.
