Burfordville house fire a total loss

A fire of unknown origin destroyed a house at 310 Cypress Lake Road behind the Hidden Valley Fishing Camp near Burfordville Monday.

According to Whitewater fire chief Garry Moore, the cause of the fire is unknown. The house was not occupied at the time, and there had been no electricity to the house for a couple of months.

The owner of the property is Janet Bierschwal of Cape Girardeau.

Moore said a neighbor notified the Whitewater fire department around 11:44 a.m. Monday. Whitewater was assisted by Millersville and Gordonville fire departments. They fought the fire for about two hours.

The house was a total loss.

"There's nothing left except the basement walls," Moore said.

Neighbors initially told firefighters that the house had exploded, but Moore said there is no evidence of an explosion.

"Some of the neighbors reported hearing loud bangs," he said. "The fire had been burning for a while. It could have been windows blowing out, canned goods exploding or even paint cans."

No one was injured.

The state fire marshal is expected to be on site today to investigate the cause of the fire, Moore said.