A house fire Thursday evening claimed the life of a Burt man and seriously injured his wife.
The Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office says the fire was reported around 7:45pm at 403 5th Street in Burt. The Burt Fire Department and EMS responded to the fire and a mutual aid request went out to area departments seeking assistance, as the home was fully engulfed in flames.
Upon arrival, firefighters located one of the occupants outside of the home, 58 year old Donna Tripp. She was able to tell them that her husband, 79 year old Marvin Tripp and the family dog were still trapped inside. Firefighters were able to remove Marvin Tripp from the burning house and he was taken by ambulance to Kossuth Region Health Center in Algona, where he was later pronounced dead. The family dog, a black lab, also perished in the blaze.
Donna Tripp was also taken to Kossuth Regional Health Center before being transported to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City, where her condition is unknown at this time.
The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire, which is currently undetermined. The home is considered to be a total loss.
Burt Fire and EMS were assisted at the scene by Fire and EMS personnel from Bancroft, Lone Rock, Titonka and Algona, Kossuth County Emergency Management and the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office.