Byrnes Mill Police have named the man who died Sept. 9 in a house explosion – James Harry Ingoldsby, 57.
He was inside his home in the 3700 block of Clearview Drive when it blew up. His wife, Evelyn “Brenda” Ingoldsby, 56, also was hurt in the blast, Byrnes Mill Police Chief Gary Dougherty said.
She was transported to St. Clare Hospital with minor injuries but later was released, said Engineer John Barton of the High Ridge Fire Protection District.
The cause of the explosion is still undetermined and being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Fire Investigation Team and the state Fire Marshal’s Office, Capt. Andy Sides of the Sheriff’s Office said Monday (Sept. 17).
The explosion occurred just after 5 p.m. Sept. 9, destroying the ranch home, scattering debris all over the neighborhood and rattling the windows of nearby homes.
Former Byrnes Mill Alderman Jim McBroom was at his nearby home when the explosion occurred.
“It shook the houses here in Lake Montowese. I could see the plume of smoke. It looked like two or three blocks, so I got in the truck and went over there,” he said.
Firefighters had not yet arrived on the scene. Neighbors, however, stepped in, trying to help the Ingoldsbys out of the rubble, McBroom said.
“There were some heroic people there. There were eight to 10 guys and two Byrnes Mill policemen. They were digging up the debris to get them out,” McBroom said. They were both trapped under the debris. They got the woman out just seconds before the fire overtook that area.”
The man could no longer be reached, McBroom said.
“After that, they stepped back and everyone got quiet,” he said.
Dougherty said the scene and the experience was traumatic for residents.
“Most of the neighbors came out to help,” Dougherty said. “Some of them were visibly upset.”
He said police later asked counselors from Comtrea to come to Byrnes Mill City Hall to meet with people who lived near the home that exploded.
“We went from door to door on the street on Wednesday (Sept. 12) and invited residents to come, and the counselors came to City Hall on Thursday (Sept. 13) at 7 p.m., Dougherty said. “We had a number of people come in and talk to them.
James Ingoldsby was a lineman for Prairie Farms. He enjoyed collecting guns, traveling, talking to people, tinkering and his dogs.