Fire Destroys Rural St. Clair Home

An early morning fire destroyed a home on Highway PP southwest of St. Clair Wednesday.

At 2:03 a.m., St. Clair Fire Protection District crews were called to 2895 Highway PP after a passerby saw the fire and called 911. When the first trucks arrived, the 1 1/2-story wood frame house was engulfed.

“It was fully involved when the first truck arrived,” St. Clair Interim Fire Chief Mike Kelley said. “They had to use a deck gun to initially knock it down.”

No one was at the residence at the time of the fire, and no one was injured. Richard Butler, the owner of the 100-plus-year-old farmhouse, arrived on the scene before daybreak, Kelley said.

The blaze was under control within 30 to 40 minutes, Kelley said. He said most of the structure was leveled with the contents and remains piled in the basement.

“We don’t know where it started,” Kelley said. “Everything collapsed into the basement, and there is so much stuff piled up that it’s difficult to determine.

“There was a lot of timber that burned. With that kind of material, it may take a while for a fire to get going, but once it does, it really goes.”

The interim chief did say that the fire does not appear to be suspicious.

In all, eight trucks and 15 firefighters responded from St. Clair. Crews from Union, Sullivan and Boles assisted.

Personnel remained on the scene until about 6 a.m., Kelley said.