KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Public Safety confirmed a second victim has died in connection with a fire that killed a 13-year-old girl at an Independence farmhouse on the Fourth of July.
On Friday, July 4, at about 5 a.m., crews with the Independence Fire Department were called to the area of North Lake City Valley Road and East Bundschu Road, near Buckner, on reports of a house fire.
When crews arrived, they reported seeing heavy fire coming from the farmhouse, forcing crews to begin “aggressive attack” operations.
Jerrilyn Brown, a 13-year-old girl who had just beaten bone cancer weeks before, was killed, and two others were hospitalized. However, on Monday afternoon, the Division of Fire Safety (DFS) confirmed that one of the two injured victims had died from their injuries.
The second victim’s name has not been released, and the other injured person is still in the hospital recovering from their injuries.
According to DFS, investigations show that the fire started on the home’s covered back deck and that “consumer-grade” fireworks had been used the night before.
DFS said it is investigating the cause of the deadly fire and whether the fireworks may have been a cause with the Independence Fire Department.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned with FOX4 News for the latest updates and information.
