Category: Fires & Rescues

At around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, Central County Fire & Rescue was called to a house fire on Westwinds Dr. in the Fourwinds subdivision in St. Peters near Interstate 70.

Neighbors noticed thick black smoke and flames shooting from the home and called 911. Three of these neighbors jumped into action and helped two residents of the home escape the burning house. One of the residents suffered severe burns, and was transported to a hospital. The family’s dog was found safe in the backyard of the home by CCFR firefighters.

“Unfortunately, our response to the home was delayed by a gridlock of nearly 100 vehicles that had slowed down or stopped on the roadways to look at the smoke that could be seen for miles. We are reminding all of our residents, if you see an emergency vehicle, please move to the right as quickly as possibly. It can make a life saving difference,” said CCFR Deputy Chief and Public Information Officer Jason Meinershagen.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home and two vehicles were completely destroyed. CCFR was assisted by the O’Fallon Fire Protection District, St. Charles County Police Department, St. Charles County Ambulance District and the Central County Community Assistance Program.

“Situations like these are also an excellent reminder of the importance of working smoke alarms. When working, these simple devices can give you and your family the time you need to safely escape a house fire,” says Meinershagen.

Visit our Instagram or Facebook pages for photos and videos of the fire and response.

At around 1:45 a.m. on Friday, April 17, residents of the Turnberry Place apartments on Ehlmann Rd. in St. Peters called 911 when they awoke to find the deck of a third-floor apartment on fire.

When Central County Fire & Rescue crews arrived on the scene, they saw heavy fire coming from the third floor, spreading to the attic and being accelerated by high winds. Due to the size of the fire, and the number of residents involved, three alarms were called bringing 50 firefighters from four departments to the scene.

As 911 was dispatching CCFR to the call, a St. Peters Police Department officer noticed the heavy smoke billowing into the sky. The officer requested additional officers to assist in evacuating the building. Working together, the first responders ensured everyone was safely out of the building and extinguished the fire.

“Fires in the middle of the night, when everyone is home, can be among the most dangerous since residents are usually asleep. The quick actions of those officers helped us ensure all the residents were able to get out safely before fire and smoke overwhelmed their apartments,” said CCFR Deputy Chief and Public Information Officer Jason Meinershagen.

The St. Charles County Ambulance District treated and released one resident at the scene, and one firefighter was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. The firefighter is expected to fully recover.

The Central County Community Assistance Program responded to provide assistance and resources to the 22 families who were directly impacted by the fire, along with hydration and nutrition for the first responders.

The Cottleville Fire Protection District, St. Charles Fire Department, O’Fallon Fire Protection District, Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District, and St. Charles County Ambulance District assisted on the call.

“Through our mutual aid agreement we train and respond with these agencies on a regular basis. This ongoing partnership is critically important in keeping our community safe,” said Meinershagen.

CCFR investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire that caused extensive fire damage to eight apartments, and water damage to every unit in the building. Donations for those impacted by the fire can be delivered to the Turnberry Apartments office, 100 Turnberry Place, St. Peters, MO 63376 or by calling 636-477-0440.

“A total of 22 families were directly affected by this fire, many of whom lost everything they own. This last month has been extremely challenging for every family in our community, so now more than ever these residents need support from the community,” said Meinershagen.

At around 3:20 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, a St. Peters, MO resident was awoken by a neighbor in need. Suffering from severe burns, with the victim’s house on fire, the individual had rushed to their neighbor’s house for help.

The neighbor called 911 and Central County Fire & Rescue immediately responded to the home on the 100 block of Timberidge Dr., in St. Peters. Once on the scene, firefighters confirmed everyone was out of the home, and there was a fire in the basement. As firefighters fought the fire, St. Charles City Fire Department paramedics immediately began helping the victim who suffered severe burns to the front of their body, and was transported to a local hospital for care.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, and CCFR fire investigators began working to determine the cause.

“We determined the fire was set intentionally, and have turned the investigation over to the St. Peters Police,” said CCFR Assistant Chief Steve Brown. It is estimated the fire caused $20,000 in damages.

CCFR was assisted by the City of St. Charles Fire Department, Cottleville Fire District, St. Charles County Ambulance District and the CCFR Community Assistance Team.

“With all of our residents spending more time at home, there is an increased risk for home fires. We are encouraging everyone to test their smoke alarms, be cautious while cooking, properly disposing of smoking materials and avoid using candles unless they are battery operated,” says Brown.

One person was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation following a fire that was likely started by unattended cooking at a condominium complex on Trailside Ct. in St. Peters on Thursday, Aug. 29. The fire destroyed one home and damaged two others in the complex. 

The fire was reported at around 4:45 p.m. Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) was the first to respond and was assisted by the St. Charles City Fire Department, Cottleville Fire Protection District and St. Charles County Ambulance District.  Twenty six emergency responders worked for more than an hour to contain and extinguish the blaze. 

Nationally, and within the CCFR fire district, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association home cooking causes more than 400 fires per day. In 2018, CCFR responded to 19 fires that started in kitchens.

“It is critically important to stay in the kitchen and make sure there are no distractions while you are cooking. With all of the open heat sources in the kitchen it doesn’t take much for a fire to start,” 

says CCFR Assistant Chief Steve Brown. 

Displaced occupants and emergency responders on the scene are being 

provided with victim assistance and canteen services by eight volunteer members from the Central County Community Assistance Program: REHAB-95. 

More than hot dogs and hamburgers felt the heat of the barbecue flames at a condominium complex in Saint Peters, Missouri on the night of Sunday, Sept. 23. An overheated grill sent flames up the side of the complex, and onto the deck.

The Saint Peters Police Department was closest to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher before the fire caused further damage. Firefighters from Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) arrived minutes later.

“We are fortunate that the police arrived when they did. A few more minutes and we would have had a different situation on our hands,” says CCFR Assistant Chief Steve Brown.

International Fire Code (IFC), and local fire ordinances prohibit grills and other open flame devices on the decks and patios of multifamily residential complexes. The IFC is a model code utilized nationwide by thousands of building and fire departments.

“Decks and patios of apartment and condominium complexes are usually much smaller than what a single family home has. The grill cannot be far enough from the home to prevent it from causing a house fire. In addition, multifamily developments are often more than two stories high and are a home to many more people than in a single family residence. This creates significantly more risk to life-loss if a fire were to occur,” says Brown.

“We understand many residents want to grill, but it simply not safe on the decks of multifamily complexes. We have seen many fires, just like this one over the past few years, and many times the damage is much worse,” says Brown.

CCFR recommends multifamily complexes install grills in common areas that are away from the property and present less of a risk to residents and their homes. The District is committed to the reduction in loss of property and life, and continues to work toward the elimination of those hazards that can be identified before a fire.

Images from the scene

Fire forced a St. Peters, Missouri family out of their home Thursday night. At approximately 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) responded to call for a house fire in the 100 block of Sutters Mill Rd. in St. Peters. One person was home at the time of the fire and awoke to a haze in the air. When she looked for the source she discovered a fire in a basement bedroom and quickly closed the door to the room, got out of the house and called 911.

“This resident did everything correctly. Her quick reaction to close the door, get out of the house and call 911 spared the house from further damage and helped their three dogs escape injury,” says CCFR Assistant Chief Steve Brown. A closed door helps prevent the spread of a fire.

At the time of the call St. Charles County Ambulance (SCCAD) was closest to the scene and arrived first. When they got to the home the paramedics reported a working basement fire and confirmed that everyone was safely out of the house. When CCFR arrived on the scene they discovered fire blowing out a bedroom window on the lower level of the home, and began work to put out the fire.

“Heavy black smoke filled the entire home, but because the resident closed the door to the room where the fire started, the actual fire damage was contained to the one room,” says Brown.

There were no injuries, but damages are expected to be $30,000 or more. Fire investigators are still at the scene working to determine the cause of the fire. The family of four is staying with family Thursday night.

CCFR was assisted by the Cottleville Fire Protection District, SCCAD and RE-HAB 95, which provides canteen service to firefighters and victim assistance to families affected by fire or other disasters. Approximately 25 first responders were on the scene.

Visit our Facebook page for images from the scene.

In early May, Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) firefighters received a call about a residential basement fire. Crews arrived on the scene within minutes to find all residents gathered safely outdoors.

All residents but one, that is.

One of the residents told firefighters their cat was still inside, and the CCFR crew immediately started their search. When the cat was found unresponsive, the crew began to administer CPR, successfully resuscitating the cat before returning her to her owners so they could bring her to the veterinarian.

“At CCFR, we know that for many residents, pets are just another member of the family,” Assistant Chief Steve Brown says. “We’re committed to keeping every member of our community safe — even the furry ones — and that’s why every CCFR fire truck is equipped with a special pet resuscitation kit.”