A fire early this week spread from a shed to a nearby house on Bader Road off Hwy. V east of De Soto, displacing a family of seven, said John Scullin, spokesman for the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District.
Scullin said the two adults and five children got out of the house uninjured, although the adult woman was examined by Valle Ambulance personnel for possible smoke inhalation. She was not transported for additional care.
He said the family has several cats and all of them were OK, too.
Scullin said the district got a call at approximately 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, and firefighters arrived by 6:08 p.m.
“The fire started with a 10-by-20-foot shed, and it was fully involved when we got there,” Scullin said. “The fire got up into the attic of the house. We had to bring the ceiling down in one of the house’s bedrooms to extinguish fire in the rafters. That bedroom has water, smoke and fire damage. The rest of the house is usable.”
He said the shed, which was destroyed, sat within “a couple of feet” from the house.
“It was all wood,” Scullin said.
He said the house must be repaired before the family may return. The Red Cross is helping the family in the meantime.
Scullin said the fire, which started in the shed, is not considered suspicious.
“The cause appears to be electrical,” he said.
Scullin said cold weather conditions did not cause too many problems for crews fighting the blaze.
“We were pretty lucky,” Scullin said. “The temperature was in the mid-20s. It didn’t present us difficulties. We adapted to the weather.”
The De Soto Fire Department and the Hematite and Hillsboro fire protection districts helped with the call, and the Valle Ambulance District also responded to the scene.