Poplar Bluff officials are investigating a Monday morning fire at 1222 Cole Ave., where it is suspected that squatters using a wood stove started the blaze.
The state fire marshal has also been called into investigate a separate fire that was reported shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday at 1808 Kentucky Ave. The fire marshal believes the origin there was a mattress under the carport.
Firefighters from three stations responded to the single story wood frame structure on Cole Avenue, where heavy smoke was reportedly coming from the attic.
According to a report by Battalion Chief Stacy Harman, a firefighter went into the structure and knocked down the fire that was crawling the ceiling going into an attic from a stove pipe to the wood heating stove. Another crew pulled ceiling tile while the third crew cut a ventilation hole near the chimney to release heat and smoke.
Since no utilities were on at the house, the city building inspector was called to the scene.
When Harmon called the caretaker for the property, he was advised no one was suppose to be living there.
The nine firefighters along with the Poplar Bluff Police and Butler County EMS were at the scene one hour and used 500 gallons of water at the fire.
Sunday, firefighters were called to the fire at 1808 Kentucky Ave.
According to Capt. Justin D. Moyers’ report, he and Lt. Travis Taylor knocked down the fire from the outside of the house. When the other crews arrived Moyers and Taylor went through the building searching for victims and extinguishing the fire. Once they realized no one was in the house, they continued putting out hot spots. Moyers’ report said the first crew had the majority of the fire out when the next shifted relieved the original crew. No utilities appeared to be connected.
The two shifts spent more than two hours at the scene and used 3,000 gallons of water.
PBPD, Municipal Utilities and Butler County EMS were at the scene.