Three fire departments, eight trucks respond to blaze in unoccupied house in Whitewater

Southeast Missourian

A fire broke out early Friday morning at a Cape Girardeau residence on County Road 380 north of Whitewater.

It took eight trucks and firefighters from three area fire departments about 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which was called in at 7:11 a.m., said Whitewater fire chief Garry Moore.

The house was unoccupied at the time, so there were no injuries, but the fire gutted the single-story home, Moore said.

"There were a few walls left standing and about half the roof," Moore said.

The first firefighter responding to the scene told Moore he could see flames coming around the outside of the house from the back, just before the front window burst out, said Moore.

Firefighters continue to investigate what could have caused the fire, the cause of which is classified as undetermined, but think they have pinpointed an area of origin toward the rear of the house, Moore said.