Smithville police identify person killed in home explosion as 71-year-old man
The Smithville Police Department identified a man killed in a house fire and explosion in Smithville on Jan. 28.
Following an autopsy completed on Jan. 30, investigators have identified the man as 71-year-old Smithville resident Scott Ritzinger, according to a press release from Smithville Police Department Chief Jason Lockridge.
The autopsy revealed no signs of foul play, Lockridge said. The man’s cause and manner of death is still pending following a medical examiner’s investigation.
Ritzinger was found dead in his home in the 300 block of East Meadow Street Jan. 28 after the Platte County Dispatch Center received a call at approximately 6:20 p.m. reporting a house fire and explosion, according to a previous Facebook post from the Smithville Police Department.
First responders from the Smithville Area Fire Protection District, as well as the Kearney Fire District, Central Platte Fire, Camden Point Fire, Edgerton-Trimble Fire and the Northland Regional Ambulance District, responded to the scene, Lockridge said.
Spire Gas and Evergy also responded to the scene to address “utility concerns,” Lockridge said. First responders found Ritzinger dead inside the residence.
It’s unclear what caused the fire and explosion. The scene was released to the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office for investigation.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 9:39 PM.
