Farina Fire Chief Jed Goekner says flames were shooting from several windows when they arrived on the scene of a house fire at Hickory and Madison Streets where two brothers died on Sunday morning.
Goekner said the original fire call indicated the two were trapped inside. However, due to the heavy fire load firemen could only fight the fire from outside until the blaze was knocked down.
Once firemen were able to enter the home, the bodies of 19-year-old Brandon Fulk and 18-year-old Zachary Fulk were found on the first floor of the two-story home. They were pronounced dead on the scene by Fayette County Coroner Dave Harris. The younger sister of the brothers was able to escape the home uninjured.
The construction of the older home allowed the fire to spread inside the walls complicating the firefighting efforts. Goekner says the strong winds also caused a few issues.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s office. The coroner conducted an autopsy on the two brothers in Springfield on Monday.
Farina received mutual aid from eight fire departments in handling the blaze. The original fire call came in at seven Sunday morning. The last firemen who assisted the deputy fire marshal in the investigation were on the scene for about eight hours.
Goekner says members of the Farina Fire Department offer their condolences to the family along with prayers and sympathy.
