WESSINGTON SPRINGS, S.D. (KELO) -- A deadly house fire in Wessington Springs has left the community shaken.
The fire was first reported Thursday night, and officials found two people dead the next day.
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There's not much left of
the house that went up in flames in Wessington Springs. Lloyd Kraft lives across the street and witnessed the fire.
"The fire whistle blew, and I got right up, and the whole house was in flames," Kraft said.
Kraft's home also felt the effects of the blaze.
"Yesterday, I checked the house, and the paint on the north side of the house just blistered," Kraft said.
Gail Arnott is a longtime resident of Wessington Springs. He was in Sioux Falls when the fire started.
"We were out of town and called by our neighbor who said there's a terrible fire," Arnott said.
The fire and the tragic deaths of the two people inside is something the town is still processing. There were even flowers left at the scene.
"Well, we couldn't believe it. How could this happen to our neighbors? Of course, it's a real tragedy. We feel badly for the families involved," Arnott said.
"Good neighbor. Both of them were," Kraft said.
There are still questions about how the fire started, and authorities say they hope to find those answers soon.
"We want to just keep that site preserved the best we can so that as the autopsy moves forward on Monday, it may shed light on additional information that may be necessary or items of interest," South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said Friday.
And Wessington Springs residents will try to find a way to move forward.
"We will help out as much as we can. It's a community that works together on serious issues like this is," Arnott said.
The names of the people who died have not been released by authorities. The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation. ...read more read less
