Three adults will need to find a new place to live for a while after a fire broke out on New Year’s Eve night (Dec. 31) at the home they were renting at 922 Elm St. in De Soto. The home was damaged in the fire but can be fixed, said Capt. James Coleman of the De Soto Fire Department.
“They should be able to return once repairs are made,” he said.
De Soto Fire got a call about the fire at 10:01 p.m. Sunday, Coleman said.
The three residents were at home when they noticed smoke coming down into the house from the ceiling area and called 911. When firefighters arrived on the scene, “there was smoke showing from the attic of the residence,” and the residents had safely escaped the building, Coleman said.
“They were all outside of the house upon our arrival,” he said.
Firefighters located the fire in the ceiling above the kitchen, Coleman said.
“We opened up the ceiling in the kitchen, removed insulation and extinguished the fire,” he said.
Faulty wiring in the ceiling is suspected as the cause of the fire, Coleman said.
Firefighters had to contend with temperatures in the single digits but otherwise things went smoothly and the firefighters were back in service at 11:36 p.m.
The De Soto Rural and Hematite fire protection districts and Valle Ambulance District assisted with the call. The Hillsboro Fire Protection District moved up into De Soto City’s empty fire house, Coleman said.
The American Red Cross helped the residents with provisions and shelter.