Stove fire damages apartments at Scott City housing authority

Five area fire departments responded Thursday to a fire in unit 118 of the Illmo Housing Authority in Scott City.

The Cape Girardeau, New Hamburg-Benton-Commerce, Chaffee, Oran and Scott City fire departments responded to the scene.

Scott City fire chief Jay Cassout said the fire started in Deloma Pace's kitchen after she left a pan unattended briefly.

Pace returned to the house after speaking with a friend outside and found the stovetop on fire, according to Cassout.

Pace spread flour on the fire and thought she had put it out, he said.

She left the apartment because of the smoke and called the Scott City Fire Department around 6:30 p.m.

Cassout said that by the time firefighters arrived on scene, the fire had spread up the walls of the apartment and burned a large hole in the roof of the building. Insulation in the space between the ceiling and the roof also caught fire.

The three other apartments in the unit were evacuated. Cassout said they suffered moderate smoke, water and heat damage.

Pace's apartment was seriously damaged, according to Cassout.

Cassout said the fire was extinguished and the apartment cleared about 8 p.m.

No one was injured in the fire.