Family home badly damaged in Cape Girardeau fire

A family of five was left homeless but unhurt Monday, when a fire of unknown origin seared through the upper floor of their Cape Girardeau house.

Firefighters responded at about 2 p.m. to 916 N. Fountain St., where a crew of 15 needed just a few minutes to beat down the flames. At one point, though, fire shot through the windows of the two-story building and sent smoke billowing out as neighbors ventured outside to check out the scene.

Dietrich Hughes was struck speechless when she arrived home from work to see what had happened to a house she, her boyfriend and their three children have called home for the last two years.

Cape Girardeau firefighters respond to a fire at 916 N. Fountain St. on Monday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2013. (Fred Lynch)

"I have no idea what we're going to do," she said after several long seconds. "What are we supposed to do?"

Some relatives live nearby, Hughes said, but none with enough room to accommodate five more. She said she needed time to figure out where they are going to stay.

Hughes said she was grateful that no one was hurt in the blaze -- her three young children were at home with an adult baby sitter when the fire broke out, but all managed to get out safely after they noticed the smell of smoke.

The cause of the fire wasn't yet determined late Monday, fire chief Rick Ennis said, though he added that he had no reason to think it was suspicious in nature.

Ennis was hopeful fire investigators would have more specifics in a day or two. All that was certain Monday, he said, was that the fire started in the house's second-floor, leaving that area with heavy fire damage and the lower level drenched and stained from smoke.

The Cape Girardeau department has seen several house fires in recent days, most recently on North Water Street, Hawthorne Road and then North Fountain Street on Monday. There's no connection among them, as far as Ennis could tell.

"We've actually gone several months without a fire," Ennis said. "So this is just catching up to us."

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

916 N. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, MO