Authorities Thursday afternoon released the identity of an Oktibbeha County woman who died in an early-morning fire.
Donna Barmore, 51, died Thursday morning when her trailer on Maben-Sturgis Road went up in flames. Barmore was a long-time volunteer with the American Red Cross and, more recently, Oktibbeha-Starkville Emergency Response Volunteer Services.
Northeast Mississippi Red Cross Executive Director Patty Tucker said in a statement she was saddened by Barmore”s death.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Donna Barmore,” Tucker said. “She was a longtime valued volunteer and such a shining light in the Oktibbeha County community. Our thoughts and prayers are with her dear family during this difficult time. Donna had a heart of gold and was a true humanitarian. We thank her family for sharing her with us.”
The fatal fire was reported Thursday around 6:30 a.m. in Barmore”s trailer at 2040 Maben-Sturgis Road, about 1/2 mile south of Highway 82, Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said. The blaze was extinguished quickly, but Barmore did not survive. She appeared to have been home by herself. No other injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Barmore”s trailer received “quite a bit” of damage in the blaze, but did not burn to the ground, Rosenhan said. Firefighters from Maben and Mathiston responded.
Firefighters in Oktibbeha County also responded to a mobile home fire Thursday afternoon off Blackjack Road, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
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