Poplar Bluff firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire Wednesday morning in the 900 block of Poplar Street.
According to fire reports, crews arrived on the scene to find an abandoned one-story home with heavy smoke billowing from the rear lower crawl space area of the structure.
“I think we had a couple of different areas of fire during the walk-through,” said Poplar Bluff Fire Chief Mike Moffitt.
This is the second time the residence has caught fire in recent years, according to Moffitt, and the utilities to the home have been off for some time. The house was also full of various contents.
“It was probably someone trying to warm up,” Moffitt said.
Firefighters deployed a pre-connected hose line and located an opening for the crawl space, which according to reports had, “heavy fire showing which was extinguished.”
Another crew entered the home through the front and began a search. The home was said to be littered heavily with trash and rubbish according to crews, “which made it difficult to navigate and get to some of the smoldering areas.”
One extra off-duty crew had to be called back in to assist with the overhaul and reloading of the hose and equipment. The state fire marshal is currently investigating the cause of the fire.