West Plains, MO. – This morning, August 11th, the West Plains Fire Department released a statement regarding a hospitalization as a result of a fire.
West Plains Fire & Rescue battled a structure fire in the 1300 block of North Howell Avenue early Monday morning, August 11, that resulted in one individual being transported to Ozarks Healthcare for treatment of injuries.
At approximately 4:22 am, West Plains Fire responded to a call of heavy smoke coming from the front of the single-story residence. A West Plains police officer had discharged a fire extinguisher in the window that slowed the spread of flames.
Firefighters contained the blaze within 30 minutes. One individual was located outside the structure and was transported for injuries sustained during the incident. Their current condition is unknown. No other injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and the residence has been deemed temporarily uninhabitable.
“We’re grateful for the quick response of our crews and the support of our mutual aid partners,” said West Plains Fire Chief Chris Sterner. “Our thoughts are with the individual who was injured.”
In addition to West Plains Fire and Police Departments, other responding agencies included Howell County Rural Fire, South Howell County Ambulance, and West Plains Utilities.
The West Plains Fire Department would like to remind residents to ensure smoke alarms are installed and functioning properly in all living spaces.
