A fire destroyed a garage in the 2300 block of Stonehouse Road off Hwy. Y northwest of De Soto on Nov. 30. The garage contents also were destroyed, De Soto Rural Fire Chief Tom Fitzgerald said.
He said firefighters were dispatched at 7:55 p.m. to the 40-by-40-foot barn-type garage, and when firefighters arrived, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. The fire was under control within 35 minutes.
Fitzgerald said the building, which was a total loss, housed tools, equipment, a tractor, two vehicles, a motorcycle, a lawnmower and at least one ATV.
He said no injuries were reported, and as of Tuesday, Dec. 3, the cause of the fire was unknown but not considered suspicious.
The Hillsboro, Hematite, Jefferson R-7 and St. Clair fire protection districts and the De Soto Fire Department assisted with the call, and the High Ridge, Mapaville and Big River fire protection districts assisted De Soto Rural with other calls. The Valle Ambulance District also responded to the scene.