An early-morning fire on Nov. 11 damaged an apartment in the 800 block of South Second Street in De Soto, displacing the man who lives there. He and his dog got out of the second-story apartment uninjured, De Soto Fire Chief Tony Ochoa.
He said firefighters kept the blaze from spreading to the first-floor unit in the two-story apartment building.
Ochoa said the De Soto Festus Fire Department got a call at 4:33 a.m. about the fire after a resident reported it.
A candle caused the fire, Ochoa said.
He said the man who lives in the apartment reported that he had placed the candle near sheets used to cover the bedroom window and left the room briefly. When he returned to the room, he found the sheets on fire and tried without success to stomp it out.
Ochoa said the apartment was heavily cluttered, but firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the bedroom.
He said he believes the man’s family is helping him while he's displaced from the apartment.
Ochoa said the first floor sustained just minor water damage and those who lived in that apartment were able to return there.
Firefighters remained on the scene until 6:12 a.m. The Crystal City and Festus fire departments and the and Hematite, Hillsboro, Jefferson R-7 and De Soto Rural fire protection districts helped with the fire.