A family of three was displaced from their townhouse in the 200 block of Pearl Drive in Hillsboro after an April 6 electrical fire damaged the building, said Assistant Chief Brian Gaudet of the Hillsboro Fire Protection District.
At 9:18 p.m., Hillsboro Fire got a call about the fire at the townhouse, which is near the Meadowlark apartments, Gaudet said.
When firefighters arrived at 9:23 p.m., “there was nothing visible from the outside, but upon entering the building there was smoke inside the apartment,” he said.
The townhouse was occupied by a man, a woman and a child. The family had previously noticed electrical issues, specifically lights dimming, and that evening “the man was in the kitchen when smoke started coming out of the electrical panel,” Gaudet said.
The man called 911 and got the family out of the house, he said.
Once firefighters arrived, they quickly “isolated the fire right above the electrical panel in the kitchen area,” Gaudet said.
He said firefighters had the small fire under control almost immediately. However, they had to make sure there were no signs of fire elsewhere in the home, which meant they had to tear out some of the walls.
In addition, Ameren was called to disconnect the electricity, Gaudet said.
The fire burned a hole through the building to the outside, and there was smoke damage throughout the building. Fortunately, the family’s belongings appeared to be salvageable, Gaudet said.
“So, there was a good outcome. It could have been much worse,” he said.
The family, though, will not be able to return until repairs are made, Gaudet said.
He said the family indicated they had a place to stay after the fire.
Firefighters were on the scene about an hour.
Since it was a commercial fire, Gaudet said, several emergency responders assisted with the call, including the De Soto Rural, Dunklin, Mapaville, Goldman and Cedar Hill fire protection districts and the De Soto Fire Department, as well as the Valle Ambulance District.