UPDATE: 3 missing after Bardwell Road house fire

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Photo by Oktibbeha County Fire Services

Three people are missing after a large house fire Wednesday morning at 6 Bardwell Road took several hours for county firefighters to extinguish.

Identities of the missing individuals were not released as of press time, but an elderly woman, a younger relative and her caregiver are unaccounted for and a search is being conducted to locate them, Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said.

"We are at the present time conducting an overhaul and search which is complicated by debris," he said. "As far as we know, there's a 92-year-old (disabled woman), caregiver and family member that we can't account for."

East Oktibbeha County Fire Department received the first report of the fire at 11:57 a.m. and was later assisted by District 5, Oktoc and Bell Schoolhouse volunteers.

Rosenhan said the cause of the fire has not been identified but it started in the rear portion of the residence.

He said two state fire marshals, Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Department, county road crews and fire department personnel will stay at the scene as needed to assist with the search. The fire departments also have three trailer-mounted flood lights in operation to help with the search, Rosenhan said.