HOUSE FIRE CLAIMS LIFE OF CAPE WOMAN

A Cape Girardeau woman's efforts to keep herself safe might have contributed to her death Monday night at her home at 1113 Walnut.

Rosemary Carley, 48, became the city's first fire fatality of the year when she died of smoke inhalation lying on her kitchen floor next to her cocker spaniel, Lady, who also was killed.

Cape Girardeau Assistant Fire Chief Max Jauch said a padlock and deadbolt on a rear door probably prevented her from easily escaping her burning home. The house didn't have smoke detectors, he said.

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter agreed: "She couldn't get to the keys to the padlocks. She was disoriented by all of the heat and smoke and couldn't get out of her home."

Carpenter pronounced Carley dead at 11:55 p.m.

A neighbor, Bernadine Harper, said Carley had all of her doors securely locked and the windows nailed shut.

"She was a little strange that way," she said. "She slept during the day and stayed up all night. I think it was because she was scared of the dark.

"I still don't believe she's gone. She was a wonderful person who had a big heart."

Jauch said an electrical cord in Carley's bedroom started the fire, which firefighters contained to that room. Fire crews were called to the scene about 11:15 p.m., he said, and returned to the station about 2 a.m..

"At one time -- probably before we arrived -- the heat level in the house was terrific," said Jauch. "It had blistered the paint and varnish in the kitchen. When she got back to the door and raised up, it probably got her."

Carley's sister was recovering family keepsakes Tuesday morning from the fire- and smoke-damaged home. She loaded a few in her car and took them to her home to clean.

Harper said Carley had two children, including a son who lives in Mississippi.

"She had only seen the son once because they were separated at birth," she said. "I think he's on his way here."

The other child, a daughter, lives in Cape Girardeau.

Visitation for Carley will be at Ford & Sons Sprigg Street Chapel Thursday after 4 p.m. Funeral service will be at the funeral home Friday at 1 p.m.

Harper said she didn't know how the family was going to handle funeral expenses. "I want to be sure her dog is buried and has a marker," she said.

In light of the tragedy, firefighters gave away smoke detectors Tuesday night in Carley's neighborhood. Fire Chief Robert Ridgeway said they also offered to install them.