A Midway woman succumbed to her injuries following a fire last week at her residence. Eighty-four-year-old Marlene Geraci was pronounced dead Dec. 11 at Baxter Regional Medical Center.
According to an incident report from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Geraci’s son says he returned home Dec. 10 and walked by his mother’s residence at 257 Arkansas Highway 178 West when an explosion blew the windows out. The son reportedly grabbed a hose, ran inside and put the fire out on his mother and on the residence. Midway Fire Chief Jerry Verble says preliminary indication shows the explosion was caused after a cigarette made contact with an oxygen tank.
Chief Verble says Geraci was transported by ambulance to the hospital with burns on her body. The fire caused damage to 25% to 30% of the bedroom in the residence.
Chief Verble says the Grover Fire Department also responded but was told they were not needed after the fire was contained.
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