A fire destroyed an old barn at Camp Neotez, a Christian camp in the 6200 block of Big River Heights Road southwest of De Soto. No one was injured, said Chief Tom Fitzgerald of the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District.
He said the fire district got a call at 11:04 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, that a controlled burn got out of control and spread to the barn.
“The building is a total loss,” Fitzgerald said.
He suspects the 20-by-30-foot barn was built in the early 1900s or even the late 1800s and was being used for storage.
Firefighters remained on the scene for two hours, Fitzgerald said.
He said the De Soto Fire Department, Hillsboro and Potosi fire protection districts helped with the call, and the Cedar Hill and Jefferson R-7 fire protection districts and the Festus Fire Department helped cover De Soto Rural Fire’s other calls. The Valle Ambulance District responded to the scene.
Fitzgerald urges residents to use caution when burning. As of Tuesday, March 19, the county was still experiencing moderate drought, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.