FIRE DESTROYS JACKSON HOME

JACKSON, Mo. -- Firefighters were kept busy around Jackson on Saturday, with two house fires involving firefighters from five fire districts responding.

Only the concrete front steps were still standing after a morning flue fire destroyed a one-and-a-half story house on County Road 450.

"I'm just thankful that it wasn't at night," homeowner Ruben Amelunke said. "I wouldn't have woken up."

Amelunke, who lives in the house alone, noticed smoke around the ceiling about 8 a.m. while he was watching television in his living room. His sense of smell is poor, he said, and he never detected smoke with his nose.

Amelunke went to his basement and examined the furnace. After finding nothing wrong, he started up the stairs to his attic.

"I turned on the light and couldn't see a thing," he said. "It was all smoke."

He left his house and ran about 50 yards down the road to his brother's home and dialed 911.

When Millersville firefighters arrived, the roof was engulfed in flames, Chief Richard Jones said.

Nevertheless, firefighters attempted to enter the house. Since the rear steps had already caved in, they tried to get inside through a second-story window, Jones said.

In the process, two firefighters were slightly injured. They were transported by ambulance to Southeast Missouri Hospital, where one was treated for smoke inhalation and another for an eye injury. Both were in good condition, Jones said.

After the injuries, the 20 firefighters from Millersville, Fruitland and Delta fire districts gave up on the house.

"Due to safety, we decided to let it burn," Jones said. "The owner was here, the insurance company was here and both said it was okay because once the fire started, it was a total loss."

Firefighters remained at the scene until 2 p.m. to ensure that the fire was out.

The house had been built at the turn of the 20th century, Amelunke said, and his family had owned it for over 60 years. The flue was constructed sometime in the 1940s, he said.

The only way to protect a home against a flue fire is to have it professionally cleaned once or twice a year, Jones said.

Jackson firefighters responded to a house fire at 2869 Old Cape Rd. about 7:20 p.m. Firefighters from Millersville and Gordonville were also called in to assist. It was brought under control approximately two hours later.

No injuries were reported.