Smoking cause of structure fire at 1705 S. Byers Ave.

(From the Joplin Fire Department)

The Joplin Fire Department responded to a reported Structure Fire at 1705 S Byers Ave at 11:49 PM, Tuesday, 28 January, 2014.

 Fire crews arrived on the scene at 11:55 PM to find a single story wood framed residential structure with light smoke showing. Crews fought the fire in a bedroom and then checked the attic, declaring the fire out at 0:19 AM. There was extensive fire, smoke and water damage to a bedroom, light fire damage to a porch and light smoke damage to the rest of the house. Crews remained on scene until 1:54 AM, Wednesday, 29 January. 

The house was occupied at the time of the fire and occupants escaped quickly. A resident said she woke up to find her house on fire on the exterior at the corner of the bedroom where it meets the porch. She then called 911. Occupant names are unavailable at this time.

No injuries were reported to either fire personnel or others in the area. Six Joplin Fire units and 16 Joplin Fire personnel responded as well as JPD and METS. 

The cause of the fire was determined to be improper use of smoking materials.