Fire damages Chaffee home New Year's Eve

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A two-alarm fire reported shortly after 9:20 p.m. New Year's Eve caused heavy damage to an unoccupied private residence on Route A just outside of Chaffee.

Just after the first alarm was dispatched, a Scott County sherif's deputy arrived on the scene and reported heavy fire on the north end with a 20 to 25 mph gusting wind driving the fire through the building. Chaffee, NBC and Delta fire departments responded to the alarm.

The attack on the fire was hindered initially by an arcing power line in the driveway that also charged a fence around the yard. Also hampering firefighting efforts was low water pressure due to the distance from the closest Chaffee city fire hydrant. A Delta tanker secured an adequate water flow while a Delta pumper hooked to the hydrant.

A second alarm was requested for pumpers from Oran and Scott City, and the fire was brought under control shortly after 11 p.m. although overhaul went well past 1 a.m.

North Scott County Ambulance and AmerenUE also responded on the first alarm.