Arson is suspected in a fire that damaged a vacant mobile home at 120 North Joachim Square Drive in De Soto last week. No one was injured, said Chief Tony Ochoa of the De Soto Fire Department.
The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire, and as of Tuesday, the cause was not known, he said.
Firefighters were dispatched to the home at 8:22 a.m. Sept. 21, and the first crews arrived at 8:26 a.m. Firefighters remained at the scene for four and a half hours, Ochoa said.
Initially, firefighters believed someone was trapped inside the home, but they later learned it was vacant, he said.
“There were no utilities going to it. It was vacant, but it still had belongings inside,” Ochoa said. He said half of the trailer was destroyed.
The De Soto Rural, Hillsboro, Hematite, Mapaville and Jefferson R-7 fire protection districts and the Crystal City and Festus fire departments helped with the call. The Valle Ambulance District also responded to the scene.