Overheated furnace starts fire at State Park home

Multiple agencies responded to a fire at a trailer in State Park on Wednesday afternoon that was started by an overheated furnace.

Just before 4 p.m., a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report smoke coming from a home in the 500 block of Clarence Street, State Park Fire Chief Herb Simmons Jr. said. When firefighters responded to the scene, they did not see any flames or smoke coming from the house.

Simmons said the assistant fire chief looked into the home as part of a check to see if anyone was inside and that’s when he observed heavy black smoke. Caseyville and Fairmont City fire departments were called for mutual aid to tend to the blaze.

No one was inside the trailer during the fire, but the floor and rear bedroom of the home were severely damaged, Simmons said. Though a cause had not been determined Wednesday night, Simmons predicted the furnace was to blame.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 6:13 PM.