Crime & Safety

Fire Officials Investigating Cause of House Fire in Barnhart

Three people escaped the two-alarm blaze, but firefighters say the home is a complete loss.

Three people were able to escape a house fire in Barnhart Wednesday morning.

The two-alarm fire broke out around 9 a.m. in the 2100 block of Birchwood Dr., said Glenn Nivens, deputy chief of the Antonia Fire Protection District. The fire appears to have started under the deck of the home.

An off-duty Jefferson County Sheriff's officer was on his way to work when he saw smoke, Nivens said. The officer went to the home, saw the fire in the back of the house and knocked on the front door. Nobody answered, so he kicked in the door.

Find out what's happening in Arnoldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Fortunately, the three people inside escaped unharmed just minutes earlier and ran to a neighbor's house," Nivens said. "The home is a complete loss."

Firefighters with the Rock Community, Mehlville, Eureka, Goldman, Festus and Dunklin fire protection districts assisted on the call, Nivens said.Β The cause of the fire is under investigation.Β 

Find out what's happening in Arnoldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Red Cross is providing assistance to the family, he said.

If you've heard of any community collection drives or donation drop-off spots for the family, please add them in the comments section of this article.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Arnold