Story Published:
Mar 26, 2009 at 8:01 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 26, 2009 at 5:40 PM CDT
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. -- Two people are dead after a fire early Thursday. Investigators say the victims are a husband and wife, Raymond and Charlotte "Betty" Hirzy, the owners of Clean Jeans Laundromat in Branson West.
After the fire was out, searchers found the bodies under four to five feet of debris on the lower level, indicating they may have been trying to escape. The roof collapsed onto the second floor, which collapsed onto the first floor.
A Kimberling City police officer spotted the flames from across the lake. The house is on Silver Bridge Lane, just south of the Kimberling City Bridge. The officer reported the flames about 1:30 a.m.
The house is a total loss. Southern Stone County Fire Protection spokesman Gordon Weathers says firefighters may never know what caused the fire because the damage is so great. An investigator for the state fire marshal will help with the investigation.
"It's a rough morning for all of us," said Weathers. "They took care of us and the fire department; they washed our gear. Betty took care of sewing the gear if it was ripped; she took care of the local law enforcement uniforms. She felt like it was her way of giving back to the community."
Weathers says the Hirzys retired to the area in 1995 and were highly regarded in the community.
