A Shenandoah woman died in a fire at her home early Sunday morning. Shenandoah Fire Chief Steve Hoefing says 65-year-old Karen Beecher was the victim. Hoefing says firefighters responded to the residence after Beecher reported the fire shortly before 1:30 a.m. Hoefing says Beecher reported the fire, but they could not find her when they got to the house. He says firefighters were able to knock the fire down quickly.
Hoefing says firefighters then began to search for Beecher after the fire was out. Hoefing says Beecher was found in a southeast bedroom at the home and attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. Hoefing says most of the damage was confined to the house’s kitchen, but heavy smoke and heat damage permeated the rest of the structure.
Hoefing says the house had no working smoke detectors. Hoefing says the fatal fire serves as a reminder to check smoke detectors to make sure they’re in working order. He says if your detectors are more than 10 years old, then you should look at replacing them. Hoefing recommends the new type of detectors. The cause of this fire is undetermined. State and local fire investigators are working on the cause.
Contributed by Mike Peterson, KMA, Shenandoah