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Dental records being used to try and confirm man killed in Mt. Vernon fire Tuesday morning

By Bruce Kropp Jan 25, 2022 | 7:06 PM

One person died and another was flown to a burn unit in Springfield, Illinois following an early morning house fire in the 1500 block of Jones Street.

Mt. Vernon Fire Chief Kevin Sargent says Coroner Roger Hayse is using dental records to try and confirm the identity of the man found inside the home during firefighting efforts.

The man found outside the home has been identified as George Herrington.   He was able to tell fire officials there was another man inside.  Herrington said he woke up to flames in the house.

Sargent says the home was engulfed in flames upon their arrival.

The State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, but so far has not come to any conclusion.   The home is expected to be a total loss.

The fire call came in at 4:39 Tuesday morning.  Firemen cleared the scene about an hour and a half later.

This is the second fatal fire in Mt. Vernon this month.  A mother and her young baby were killed in a blaze earlier.   A third person was burned in that fire and transferred to the burn unit in Springfield.