A fire that destroyed a house in Stroud on March 8 was determined to be fatal nearly a week later when remains of at least two persons were discovered inside.
Stroud Fire Chief Cliff Wilson said firefighters responded to the house fire that broke out around 4 a.m. at 910 W. 4th in Stroud. He reported that witnesses at the scene said a couple of people got out and they didn’t believe anyone was inside the house.
“It’s undetermined at this time who might have perished in the fire,” Wilson stressed.
Firefighters were on the scene that day for about 10 hours extinguishing the fire and knocking down hot spots, he said.
“We conducted our search that morning for anyone who might have been in the house,” Wilson noted.
He pointed out the structure was in really bad shape from the fire. “It was fully engulfed upon arrival,.” Wilson said.
Nearly a week later, the evening of March 14, a passerby, possibly a neighbor, apparently was curious and was looking around and noticed some remains. “He notified the Stroud Police Department,” Wilson explained.
Stroud Police Chief Clint Gaylord confirmed Friday, “The remains are of at least two persons. Two people got out of the fire, they are accounted for and we have talked with them,” Gaylord said.
“There are two more believed to have gotten out but are missing,” he stated.
Gaylord said in the last two or three years the fire department has responded to a couple of fires at that residence that were accidental.
The State Fire Marshall’s Office and the State Medical Examiner were on the scene March 15 doing the recovery of those remains, Wilson stated.
Gaylord said, “That what the State Fire Marshall’s Office finds will assist us in our investigation as well. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the identity of the remains of those two bodies,” Gaylord said.
The Stroud Fire Chief said no origin of cause has been determined. “We’re going to leave that in the State Fire Marshall’s hands,” he added.
Wilson said before the remains were discovered the evening of March 14, “We were scheduled to excavate the property the morning of March 15.”
Wilson reported that three Stroud fire units and 10 firefighters responded to the blaze.