The cause of a fire that killed three people on Tuesday, Jan. 27, remains undetermined and is considered accidental, according to Mike O’Connell, a spokesman for the state Division of Fire Safety.

Fire broke out at a home serving as an individualized supported living facility for the Perkins Center at 204 Villers Drive around 6:30 a.m. The building was fully engulfed when fire crews arrived around 6:40 a.m.

The Glasgow Fire Department also responded. Fire personnel had the blaze under control by 8 a.m.

The Perkins Residential Care Center provides long-term residential care for adults who need support with daily living activities.

The Department of Mental Health contracts with service providers, like Perkins Residential Care Center, to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Certification requires visits by the department every two years. The last time this home was surveyed was October 2024, according to Debra Walker, Department of Mental Health Director of Public Affairs. “There were no fire safety or environmental concerns at that time,” she told this newspaper on Monday. 

Fayette Fire Department Co-Chiefs Gary Kunze and Steven Morrow confirmed to the Advertiser that three of the six people in the home died in the fire. Three escaped unharmed, including a woman in a wheelchair, after Marcia Lyon, an employee who perished in the fire, smelled smoke and called 911.

The house, a doublewide trailer, had two ground-floor bedrooms and two more in the basement.

Residents Donnie Bittle and Roy Holloway also died in the fire. They were on the ground floor of the home when the fire started. Obituaries for Mrs. Lyon and Mr. Halloway appear on Page 3 of this newspaper.

“The individuals who survived were moved to a group home operated by Perkins. Burrell Behavioral Health team members continue to provide support to the consumers, staff members, and their families,” Mrs. Walker explained.

An account was established to accept donations for Messrs. Holloway and Bittle at the Fayette branch of Exchange Bank of Missouri, located at the corner of Church and West Morrison streets. A GoFundMe campaign for Mrs. Lyon had raised nearly $7,000 as of Monday morning. One anonymous donor contributed $1,000.

“We are now facing the difficult task of arranging her funeral and supporting our family through this loss,” wrote Mrs. Lyon’s daughter-in-law, Alecia Calvert, on the GoFundMe page. “The funds from this fundraiser will help cover funeral expenses and provide urgent care and support for our family as we work to recover and rebuild. Every contribution will go directly toward these immediate needs, helping us honor her memory and care for those affected.”

Four fires in January

On Saturday morning, another fire broke out at 205 Lucky Street in Fayette. The fire department was called at 7:58 a.m. and contained the fire in about 45 minutes.

The home was unoccupied at the time, and nobody was injured. It served as a guest house, and a family member was on the way there when the fire started. The Glasgow Fire Department was also on scene, providing mutual aid.

Co-Chief Kunze said the fire was believed to have started at the house’s heat source, a boiler system.

“We made an interior attack to control the fire and check the house,” Kunze said, “The house was empty, but somebody was coming in that day to stay there. There were no injuries, and the house is a total loss.”

The fire is just the latest in a devastating January for local fire crews, who endured sub-freezing temperatures and windy conditions in each instance.

A late-night fire destroyed a home on Carson Road north of Boonesboro on Thursday, Jan. 22.

The following Saturday, around 4:30 p.m., a fire at 313 Crews Street in Franklin was quickly contained, but water and exploratory damage kept the occupants from returning to the house. No injuries were reported with either of these fires.