Firefighters from all three West Plains stations, plus mutual aid from three rural fire departments, responded to an early morning fire on Sunday which originated in a vacant house and spread to a neighboring house, fanned by the wind.
Two residents of the second house were able to escape without injury but a pet cat died in the fire, according to fire officials. A report provided by the West Plains Fire Department noted the fire in the second structure had spread through the attic space and interior.
By the time firefighters arrived at the original fire, the house was fully engulfed in flames. West Plains Assistant Fire Chief Chris Sterner told the Quill the incident is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office, and there was no electrical service to the vacant house at the time the fire started. The cause of the fire is not yet known, according to an incident report provided by the West Plains Fire Department.
Sterner commented the house was under renovation and the owners were doing finishing work on it for renters to be able to move in around the first of May. The estimated loss of the 1,586 square-foot home is valued at about $100,000, according to an incident report, which also noted there had possibly been homeless people in and out of the house.
Fire personnel were on scene at about 2:42 a.m. Sunday, had the fire contained by about 6:30 a.m., and cleared by about 8 a.m. after firefighters were certain there was no risk of reignition. The original fire burned the house down to the foundation, with only a pile of timbers left. Heavy damage to the neighboring house is visible, with charring and smoke damage throughout, and the loss of one of two vehicles parked there.
