A fire destroyed a home in the 3900 block of Old Hickory Trail west of Hillsboro on July 22. The fire appeared to have started when flames from a barbecue pit spread to the home in the Raintree subdivision, said Brian Gaudet, chief of the Hillsboro Fire Protection District.
He said the fire district got a call about the fire at approximately 6:15 p.m., on a brutally hot evening.
“Due to the extreme heat, a second alarm was called prior to the arrival of the first due to (the need) for apparatus,” Gaudet said. “Upon arrival, crews found a large two-story residential structure with heavy fire showing through the roof.”
He said the home’s one resident, a man in his 80s, was outside the house when crews arrived.
Gaudet said parts of the structure were collapsing as the crews arrived.
“The roof had partially collapsed prior to our arrival and the floor was already collapsing, so crews were unable to make entry into the building. Crews fought the fire from the outside of the structure. Eventually, a third alarm was called due to the heat and the stress put on our firefighters,” he said. “Firefighters faced punishing temperatures of around 104 degrees at the time of the fire.”
Gaudet said no one was transported to medical care, but two firefighters were treated at the scene for “heat-related illnesses.”
Firefighters remained on the scene until about 9:35 p.m.
“After an investigation, it was determined the fire was accidental in nature caused by a barbecue pit on a wooden deck,” Gaudet said. “The house is a total loss.”
The Antonia, Dunklin, Goldman, High Ridge, Mapaville, Saline Valley, Cedar Hill and De Soto Rural fire protection districts and the De Soto Fire Department helped with the call. The Valle Ambulance responded to the scene as well.