Fire destroys former schoolhouse in Dogwood, Mo.

DOGWOOD, Mo. -- A former school building-turned-residence was destroyed in a fire Tuesday night in Mississippi County.

East Prairie fire chief Kyle Hutcheson said the volunteer department received a call at 9:43 p.m. Tuesday of a fire at the residence at 1011 Route B in the Dogwood community between Bertrand, Mo., and East Prairie, Mo.

"No one was home [at the time of the fire]. There were no injuries, and it was a total loss," Hutcheson said early Wednesday.

Constructed in 1938, the school building was transformed into a house in the mid-1980s, according to the fire chief.

"Due to the old timber the building was made of, it was very difficult to extinguish the fire," Hutcheson said. "It was a monster, and the two-story structure was fully engulfed at the back of the home on arrival."

Firefighters were on the scene until about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

The cause of the fire was undetermined Wednesday morning and remained under investigation by the fire department, Hutcheson said.

Pertinent address:

Dogwood, MO