Sikeston police discover fire while family sleeps

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston police officer discovered a house fire while on patrol early Wednesday morning, just in time to wake a family of six and get them out of the home safely, according to a news release from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

Police said officer Chris Griggs was on patrol near Hardin Street when he saw a vehicle on fire in a carport that subsequently ignited the house at 322 Hardin St. Griggs called the fire department and knocked on the door, but no one answered. When another officer arrived, they forced open the door, found a family of six asleep inside and helped to evacuate them.

Four members of the family were children ranging in age from 3 to 10, and two were asleep in a room where the fire had burned through the exterior wall. The fire was put out shortly therafter.

No one was injured.

Police are investigating a recently replaced fuel pump in the car as the source of the fire.

The fire was not considered suspicious, and the fuel pump was likely at least a contributing factor, said Sgt. James McMillen, spokesman for the department.

Sikeston police are cross-trained with the Sikeston Fire Division, and Griggs believes that training helped him a lot, McMillen said.

As a certified firefighter, Griggs felt better prepared to evaluate the level of the fire immediately, before going into the house, and wasn't intimidated by it, McMillen said.

Griggs has been with Sikeston police for four and a half years, and was a law enforcement officer in Miner, Mo., before that, McMillen said.

Having four children of his own, Griggs said he was glad he could help another family rescue their children, McMillen said.