Extension Cord Blamed in Fire

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin firemen Friday said they believe an electrical fire caused by an overloaded extension cord caused the fire that destroyed the Kevin Tilley home on North Hickory Street Thursday.

Jeff Carrothers says his dad Rodney Carrothers was dropping him off for work at Gold Plate when they saw smoke pouring from the Kevin Tilley home on North Hickory Street Thursday morning.

They pulled in, got the attention of a neighbor, then went about the task of getting two girls out of the burning home. "We moved a motorcycle and a grill, then took out an air conditioner to get to the girls," says Jeff. They climbed out the window," he said.

Rodney is an employee of Ferrellgas of Du Quoin.

The Carrothers along with a Du Quoin man and son are all being called heroes following the 7 a.m. fire that destroyed the Kevin Tilley home between the Gold Plate program and the Hicks Oil, Inc. plant.

Neighbor Ezra Oetting saw the flames shooting 20 feet above the Kevin Tilley house in front of them and called 911.

Ezra's father--Brian Oetting, an employee of Home Lumber Co.-- didn't waste any time and headed for the burning house where he joined the Carrothers to break in and helped save the lives of two of the Tilley children--ages 13 and 17.

About the same time passerby Rodney Carrothers saw the flames and pulled off the highway to help. They were both transported to Marshall Browning Hospital for breathing treatments.

According to those at the scene Mr. Tilley, his wife and a daughter were at work when the fire broke out.

Heaviest damage was to the center of the house.