DECATUR COUNTY — Authorities are investigating a fatal house fire that claimed the life of an Oberlin resident earlier this week.
According to Decatur County Sheriff David Wachendorfer, emergency crews were dispatched just before 9 a.m. Tuesday following a 911 report of a structure fire near U.S. Highway 83, at the intersection of Buffalo Avenue and Hall Street in Oberlin.
First responders arrived to find smoke coming from a single-family home in the 200 block of South Buffalo Avenue. Deputies attempted to enter the residence to locate the occupant but were initially hindered by heavy smoke conditions.
After forcing entry through the front door, responders observed an individual lying motionless just inside the home. Crews quickly entered, removed the victim, and began life-saving measures in the front yard.
The occupant, identified as Randy Allen Spencer, was transported to Decatur Health for treatment. Firefighters were able to quickly bring the blaze under control inside the residence.
Spencer was later airlifted to a medical facility in Lincoln for advanced care, where he died Wednesday from injuries sustained in the fire.
The Kansas State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
U.S. Highway 83 was closed for several hours between Hall Street and Q7 Road as emergency crews responded and worked to contain the scene.
