Fire damage two houses in rural Carthage

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Fire Department battled two house fires over a six-hour period Wednesday with the help of firefighters from Duenweg and Avilla.

The first call was at 10:16 a.m., and involved a car and a mobile home at 7800 County Road 192, northwest of Carthage. Capt. Tom Nixon of the Carthage Fire Department said no one was in the mobile home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

The fire caused heavy fire, smoke and heat damage to the mobile home and a car next to it, Nixon said. The Duenweg Fire Department assisted Carthage crews in extinguishing the fire.

“That was a set fire,” Nixon said. “It’s still under investigation. But they set the car on fire.”

The owner of the vehicle and property was listed as Ronnie Ogle. Nixon said the state Division of Fire Safety is involved in the investigation.

At 12:46 p.m., shortly after firefighters finished work at that fire scene, they were called to 17403 Jayhawk Road, where a two-story, frame house occupied by Bryan Hernandez had caught fire.

“We found the whole back side of the house on fire when we arrived,” Nixon said.

He said no one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

The Avilla Fire Department helped Carthage and Duenweg firefighters confine the fire to the back of the downstairs floor, and the upstairs and attic of the house. Nixon said the house sustained heavy fire, smoke and heat damage.

The cause of the fire was determined to be a short circuit next to a circuit-breaker panel, Nixon said.

The owner of the rental home was listed as Phillip Blankenship.