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Fire causes smoke damage to apartment

Damage contained to living room

By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, October 02, 2008
Updated: Thursday, October 2, 2008 10:11 AM CDT

Farmington firefighters check the roof of a Park Hills apartment complex for damage. Park Hills firefighters were able to contain the fire mostly to the living room of one apartment. - Teresa Ressel / Daily Journal

PARK HILLS — Two residents of a Park Hills apartment complex had to find another place to stay after a fire there Wednesday night.

Firefighters were called to 513 Seventh Street after a resident returned home to find a fire in her living room.

When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke was showing from Apartment E, a middle upstairs apartment at the rear of the building owned by Roy Wyatt. Firefighters entered the apartment and were able to make a quick attack on the fire.

The damage from the fire itself was contained to the living room of that apartment with a little extension to the attic. The Farmington ladder truck was called in case the fire extended to the roof.

Sarah Hampton had just moved into the apartment a few weeks ago. Her neighbor said she did not have renter’s insurance yet.

The neighbor said they had just gone to the bank and were only gone 10 minutes.

Fire Marshal Zach Jacobsen said there was moderate damage to the apartment. He said the fire has been ruled accidental. He said he can not eliminate an electric fan or a plug-in air freshener as the cause of the fire.

Firefighters from Desloge, Farmington and Bismarck assisted Park Hills at the fire scene. Leadwood, Bonne Terre, Big River, and Leadington departments remained on stand-by.

The fire was reported at 9:10 p.m. and the first fire truck was on the scene within 10 minutes.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.