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PIERCETON - A Sellers Lake man died and his wife was injured in a fire this morning at their residence.
The body of James Abner Crews, 59, of 5799 S. Monroe Drive, Warsaw, was found inside the mobile home after firefighters arrived at the 3:10 a.m. fire call and extinguished the blaze.
Connie Crews, no age given, suffered burns when she tried to drag her husband, a double-leg amputee, from the burning home. She was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, and later transferred to St. Joseph Regional Burn Center, Fort Wayne, where she was listed in fair condition late this morning.
A neighbor saw the fire this morning and called 911 for help, saying that it was a large fire. A Pierceton police officer was the first of the emergency personnel to arrive at the scene and the mobile home was fully engulfed in flames at that time.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials said family and friends told them that Mr. Crews was on oxygen and often smoked cigarettes in bed. Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said it is possible that dropped or discarded smoking materials started the fire.
Pierceton Fire Department was assisted at the scene by personnel from Sidney Fire Department, Pierceton and Multi-Township emergency medical services, the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department and Coroner's Office and the Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office.
