December 27, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
A woman perished in a fire at her Smithville residence this morning (Tuesday) at 201 Hayes Street
Dead is 37-year-old Brittany Schemmer.
According to Detective Brandon Donnell of the Smithville Police Department, city workers spotted the fire as they were passing by and reported it at 10:23 a.m.
“The Smithville Fire Department arrived on the scene quickly and found smoke billowing through the roof and all through the house,” said Detective Donnell.
“We saw no vehicle parked at the residence but while talking to neighbors we learned that a woman lived there but had no car. We were also informed that the woman’s 6-year-old daughter lived with her but that the child was at her grandparents at the time,” Detective Donnell continued.
Fire Chief Charlie Parker said as fire fighters were battling the blaze, they were also looking for the woman and found her body in a master bathroom. She apparently succumbed to smoke inhalation. A cat and dog also perished in the fire.
According to Chief Parker, the fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, but the exact cause has not been determined. No foul play is suspected. The house was gutted by the fire. The structure and all belongings were lost.
In addition to the Smithville Fire Department and Smithville City Police, DeKalb EMS and city workers were also on the scene.