Two young children who died in a house fire early Thursday morning in Perryville have been identified by authorities as Dekon Kimbrell, 1, and Dalila Kimbrell, 2.
Dekon and Dalila’s obituary appears in this week’s issue.
The fire occurred at approximately 7:16 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 in the 700 block of Bruce Street. Emergency responders from the Perryville Police Department, Perryville Fire Department, and Perry County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched after a structure fire was reported.
When officers arrived, family members who had escaped the home told them that two children were still inside upstairs bedrooms. Officers attempted to enter the residence but were forced back by heavy smoke. Additional attempts to access the home from the exterior were also unsuccessful.
Firefighters later entered the home and retrieved both children. Perry County Coroner Meghan Ellis said Dekon, who had just turned 1 that day, was pronounced dead at the scene. Dalila, 2, was transported to Mercy Perry Emergency Department, where she was later pronounced dead.
Soon after the house fire, Ellis said autopsies would be performed on both children, as required by state law.
The children lived in the home with their parents, Tammy Reed and Donald Kimbrell.
Fire crews were able to extinguish the blaze quickly. The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office, along with the Perryville Police Department, continues to investigate the cause of the fire.
Perry County Emergency Manager Patrick Naeger said the Red Cross has been activated to assist the affected families, and additional resources are being coordinated to support them.
“We will be checking on the affected families throughout their recovery journey,” Naeger said.
Authorities said further questions regarding the investigation should be directed to the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office.
