ANOTHER FIRE LEVELS HOUSE NEAR JACKSON

Firefighters from five departments responded Monday to the fourth structure fire in three days in Cape Girardeau County.

Their close proximity in time and distance is coincidence, said John Sachen, a state fire instructor. "On a regional basis there is always some fire activity," Sachen said. Fires will always occur more often in more densely populated areas over time, he said.

All the fires remain under investigation.

Monday's fire destroyed a house at 3333 Old Toll Road just outside the Jackson city limits.

"It's a blessing that no one was hurt," said Scott Graham, who stood by watching his home of eight years burn.

Millersville and Jackson firefighters arrived simultaneously within minutes of being dispatched at 8:50 a.m.

Debbie Graham and her 12-year-old daughter noticed smoke and looked for its source before leaving the house to call 911 from a neighbor's house, Scott Graham said.

"She had originally called me from home to tell me about it while I was at work," Graham said. "When I called back 10 minutes later she didn't answer, so I knew she had left."

When the first of 30 firefighters arrived, it was already too late to save the house, said Sachen, a Delta firefighter. "It was an overwhelming fire," he said.

Firefighters believe the fire started in the basement because flames were rolling out of the basement windows when they arrived.

Graham, who owned the home, said a woodburning stove was in the basement, but he couldn't say what the exact cause might be.

Firefighters attacked the basement area first and attempted to enter the house in an effort to save it.

Large fans were initially used to blow flames away from an entryway so that firefighters could enter the house. This is a relatively new technique that is supposed to lower the risk to firefighters while slowing the fire's movement, said Sachen. But the effect was minimal.

"Sometimes the fire has gotten ahead of you even before you leave the fire station," Sachen said.

After testing the floor's stability with an ax, it shook and rattled, Sachen said. Ten minutes later it caved in.

"Ten years ago we would have sent a firefighter right in there to try and save the house," he said. "We could have gotten a firefighter killed that way today."

Today firefighters will enter a burning building only if a person's life is threatened, Sachen said.

Along with Millersville and Jackson, firefighters from Delta, Gordonville and Fruitland responded. Seven tankers shuttled water to five pumper trunks.

Firefighters took about an hour to bring the fire under control and another three hours to extinguish it.

Inside the one-level, brick-frame house everything was black from smoke, and the main floor had completely collapsed into the basement. A wall in the living room hung from ceiling rafters.

The Grahams lost nearly all their possessions in the fire. A lawnmower and a gas barbecue grill had been pushed away from the house and stood in the driveway.

The two-car garage appeared untouched by flames or smoke. A stack of firewood stood uncharred against a wall.

After discussing the condition of the structure with the owner and other firefighters, Millersville Fire Chief Rick Campbell decided to call in a backhoe to gut the home's interior.

"I've been at some fires where the homeowner is hysterical," Campbell said. "But this one pretty much understands that there's no choice and accepts it."

Scott Graham said his family will probably stay with his mother in Benton for now.

At the first sign of smoke or sound of a smoke detector, no one should hesitate to call firefighters, Sachen said.

"If you smell smoke and you're not sure what it is, call," he said. "It might just be some old rags, but it'll save you more in the long run."