A Marshfield firefighter who was severely injured after he was trapped in a burning home a week ago has died, reports News-Leader.com.
Lt. Matthew Blankenship, 38, died in the burn center of Mercy Hospital Springfield, according to the Marshfield fire department. He had suffered burns over a large percentage of his body.
Blankenship was trapped in a house fire July 13 in Niangua. Shawn Ricks, the Niangua fire chief, was also injured but has been released from Mercy. Marshfield Lt. James Lannan was also trapped but managed to escape with minor injuries.
“A situation about 30 minutes into the fire occurred that changed the conditions,” said Marshfield Fire Chief Michael Taylor.
Taylor said Blankenship’s death is the first fatality in the history of the Marshfield fire department, which is volunteer.
Blankenship, a mechanic at Peterbilt in Springfield, is survived by his wife and three children.
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