Cheryl Kline, 66, died April 4 in a fire at her home in the 7000 block of Hillview Drive in Cedar Hill. The Office of the Regional Medical Examiner this afternoon, April 7, reported Kline was the woman who died in the fire.
“During this profoundly difficult time, our hearts go out to the family affected by this tragedy,” the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District said in a written statement. “We extend our deepest condolences and offer our support as they navigate this loss.”
When Cedar Hill firefighters responded at 12:21 p.m. April 4 to the fire at the small, single-story home, it was fully engulfed in flames, the statement said.
“As fire crews responded, reports indicated that an individual was trapped inside the residence,” according to a written statement from Cedar Hill Fire. “Firefighters worked diligently to locate the trapped occupant while simultaneously engaging in fire suppression efforts. Sadly, the team discovered a 66-year-old female deceased in the home.”
Fire Chief Mick Fischer said the woman’s husband was able to escape the house uninjured.
Fischer said paramedics treated firefighters on the scene for overexertion, but they did not require further treatment.
Cedar Hill Fire Marshal Robert Tucker, the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the fire and ruled the cause accidental, Fischer said.
Mike O’Connell, a spokesman with the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, said a nearby lightning strike may have led to the house fire, adding that a lightning strike was detected in the area at 12:05 p.m., about 15 minutes before firefighters arrived on the scene of the fire.
O’Connell said the husband and wife were in their kitchen cooking when the strike occurred. The man reportedly went to check the breaker as the house rapidly filled with smoke, and he managed to escape.
The last fire crews left the scene at 5:16 p.m., he said.
The Eureka, High Ridge, Hillsboro, St. Clair, and De Soto Rural fire protection districts helped with the call, along with Jefferson County 911 Dispatch, Big River Ambulance District and Woodard Cleaning & Restoration, Fischer said.