A Nov. 18 fire at a home in the 400 block of South Adams Street in Festus is being investigated as arson, officials report. The fire, which was reported shortly before 1 a.m., appears to have been deliberately started, Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis said.
“Somebody threw a flammable liquid onto the side of a house,” he said. “A witness told the owner of the house they saw a white-color vehicle leave the scene. (The fire) was pretty bad on the outside, but didn’t get inside the house.”
The state Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to investigate. Mike O’Connell, communications director for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, confirmed that the fire was deliberately set.
“The fire remains under investigation by the Division of Fire Safety,” O’Connell said. “It was incendiary, with a flammable liquid used on the exterior of the structure. Most of the damage was contained to the exterior of the building. There were no injuries to occupants of the building or firefighters.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Missouri Arson Hotline at 800-392-7766.