HIGH RIDGE, Mo. — A man died after his mobile home caught fire early Monday morning in Jefferson County.
High Ridge Fire Chief John Barton told 5 On Your Side the fire broke out at about 3 a.m. Monday at a mobile home in the 3100 block of Ruby Drive in High Ridge.
Crews were unable to enter the structure immediately upon arrival due to heavy smoke and flames, Barton said. Once firefighters were able to enter, they found 67-year-old Charles P. Willingham dead.
There were no working smoke alarms at the time of the fire, and Barton said the fire appeared to start in a bedroom.
Willingham was likely dead some time before crews arrived at the scene of the fire, the chief said. The Regional Medical Examiner's Office determined his cause of death to be smoke inhalation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and State Fire Marshall will be conducting an investigation into the fatal fire.
Barton said the cause of fire had yet to be determined as of Tuesday due to the extend of the damage, but it was not considered suspicious.
This is a breaking news story. 5 On Your Side will update it as more information becomes available.
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