A home and a pole barn were both lost in separate fires in Jefferson County on Friday night.
A house owned by Jeff Smith, located in the 15,000 block of North Campground Lane east of Mt. Vernon, was completely destroyed after a fire began in an attached garage and spread through the attic, ultimately burning off the roof. Firefighters were able to assist the Smith family in retrieving some belongings before the flames intensified. A pickup truck, a side-by-side vehicle, and a large camper parked outside the garage were also destroyed.
The State Fire Marshal’s office has been called to investigate the cause of the fire, which is currently undetermined. The fire was discovered about 20 minutes after Smith returned home and detected smoke. The fire call was made at 8:53 PM, and firefighters remained on the scene for approximately two hours. Mutual aid was provided by Mt. Vernon City, Bluford, Kell, Wayne City, and Centralia Fire Protection Districts. Salem and Irvington offered backup at the Jefferson Fire Station in case of additional emergencies.
Simultaneously, firefighters were responding to a pole barn fire when they received the call about the house fire. The pole barn on Robert Cooper’s property in the 19,000 block of North Windsong Lane, northeast of Texico, was fully engulfed upon arrival. This barn was also a total loss, along with various tools and items inside. The cause of this fire is under investigation, with the call coming in at 8:20 PM. Firefighters spent about an hour on the scene, receiving mutual aid from Mt. Vernon City and Kell Fire Departments.