Third heat victim found in Scott City

Brian F. Licare, 43, was last heard from Monday, when he talked to his brother.

A Scott City man found dead Friday in his mobile home became the third area fatality attributed to the recent heat wave.

A brother found Brian F. Licare, 43, in the small travel trailer, Scott City police chief Don Cobb said. The trailer sits behind the family business, Midwest Truck Inc., on Nash Road.

The discovery of Licare -- who Scott County Coroner Scott Amick said had been dead for several days -- follows the deaths of Glenda Rogers and her son, Clarence Rogers, in their Cape Girardeau home. The Rogerses were discovered Wednesday in their home, which had the windows shut and no air conditioning.

State health officials have counted seven other heat-related deaths in Missouri.

Licare's trailer had an air conditioner, Cobb said, but it was blowing warm air when officers arrived. Licare was last seen on Sunday doing yardwork and spoke with his brother on Monday, Cobb said.

The family was grief-stricken and did not wish to talk about the death, Cobb said.

There won't be an autopsy, Amick said. "We don't suspect foul play in any form or fashion," he said.

Licare had other medical problems that were likely exacerbated by the heat, he said. The family requested that details of the medical condition not be made public, Amick said.

Six days of extreme heat across the region ended early Wednesday when a cool front bringing brief showers moved through the area. During the heat wave, the National Weather Service recorded a peak heat index in Cape Girardeau of 117 degrees and above 120 degrees in other parts of the region.

Licare didn't work in the family business this week after telling his brother on Monday that he wasn't going to work that day, Cobb said.

"They really weren't worried about it until this morning," Cobb said. "The brother had just spoken to him on Monday, and he was working outside on Sunday."

Licare was found on the floor of his trailer, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said.

In addition to the three area deaths, the recent heat wave is blamed for three deaths in St. Louis, one in Kansas City, one in northwest Missouri and one other.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokesman Brian Quinn said he could not be more specific about the location of the deaths outside major metropolitan areas because of privacy requirements.

Most of the victims have been elderly or suffered from health problems. Health officials say the elderly and chronically ill are most at risk when the weather is hot.

In addition to the deaths, the state has confirmed 183 illnesses due to heat, Quinn said.

The weather service forecasts that temperatures should remain moderate at least for the next week. While daytime highs in Southeast Missouri are expected to rise again into the low 90s, humidity will remain low, the weather service forecasts, and nighttime lows are predicted to be in the 60s.

Health officials advise anyone suffering from heat to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, and to use ice packs on the neck, underarms or groin areas to cool down.

People without air conditioning should keep windows open to prevent heat from building up inside. "It was pretty warm inside" Licare's trailer, Cobb said, because of the malfunctioning air conditioner and the sun baking the roof of the small mobile home even on a relatively cool day.

Advocates for senior citizens and the disabled urge family, friends and neighbors to check on people they know to be homebound, especially during dangerous weather. A friend last spoke to Glenda Rogers on Sunday, and visited her Themis Street home in Cape Girardeau Wednesday when she was unable to reach Glenda Rogers or Clarence Rogers by telephone.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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