ST. CHARLES, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
A morning fire has claimed the life of a 61 year old St. Charles woman. One neighbor says he tried to pull her from the burning home, but the smoke was simply too much. Sadly, it appears the dead woman had already escaped, but went back inside.Residents say Sueanne Henry had left her apartment when smoke alarms originally sounded, but then went back inside. Firefighters arrived and found her. They were joined by paramedics in trying to save her, but it was too late.
Officials say the flames broke out in the basement of the fourteen unit apartment about 8:20 Thursday morning. Soon neighbors were trying to get everyone out.
"People are banging on doors for everybody to get up and get out and as soon as everyone is out of the apartment building were all counting heads," Alycia Kramer says, recounting the panic of trying to find everyone. "Where's this person? Where's this person?"
The one person that was missing was Sueanne Henry. She was seen outside, then, residents believe, she went back in. Some think she was trying to save her dog. Another neighbor believes she simply thought it was a false alarm, something that's happened before, and went back inside.
Another neighbor, Chris Smith, tried to go in after her.
"I tried to go back in for only two second I couldnt take it all that smoke in my eyes I just turned around," he says.
Residents report hearing an explosion from the basement as they fled the building.
"It was scary because when were coming down the steps the explosion happened," Smith says. So I thought we were going to fall thru the floor."
About twenty people took refuge across the street in the St. Charles Schools Administration building.
The Red Cross is assisting the victims.
