Fire crew discovers house blaze

Park Hills Fire Chief Brad Weiss said a city fire crew was heading back to the station at about 3:48 a.m. Saturday morning when they smelled smoke and went to investigate. 

The firefighters discovered a house fire.

“When they arrived heavy smoke was coming from the eaves,” Weiss said. “The family was out of town, but when we arrived this was unknown.”

Weiss said the toys in the front yard led them to believe children could be in the home so they forced entry and cleared the house. He said nobody was home and there were no injuries.

The cause of the fire was to be investigated by the state fire marshal’s office.

Weiss said the home was built in the 1900s and the fire appeared to have started in the basement and traveled up through the first floor and to the attic.

Weiss said the street department had to be called in to salt portions of the streets due to water from hoses freezing.

Departments from Desloge, Leadwood, Bismarck, Leadington, Big River, Desloge and Farmington provided mutual aid, while Potosi Fire Department were placed on standby in case they were needed.

Crews were on the scene of the fire for about three hours.

The home at 403 Keith Street in Park Hills was heavily damaged by fire early Saturday morning.