SOUTH HEART, ND ( KXNET ) — A devastating house fire in rural South Heart on the morning of Saturday, July 13, resulted in the death of one man and a woman being rushed to the hospital for treatment.

According to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, at about 10:58 a.m., firefighters responded to a report of a residential structure fire in rural South Heart, located near 53rd Street West and 125th Avenue SW. When crews arrived, they found the home was completely engulfed in fire, and that there were occupants and pets inside.

One resident of the home, 62-year-old Bambi Mansfield, managed to leave the flaming building, but sustained significant burns to her body. She was brought to CHI Hospital in Dickinson, but later flown to Denver, Colorado for advanced treatment.

The second occupant — Mansfield’s fiance, 62-year-old Deane W. Nichols — was unable to escape the residence and died at the scene.

According to a GoFundMe page created for the Mansfield family, Bambi is currently in critical condition: Over 70% of her body is “deeply burned,” and the next weeks are crucial. Bambi will be in the burn hospital for another 4-6 months, and undergo rehab shortly after.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and is currently under investigation by the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, the ND Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the ND State Fire Marshall’s Office.

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