An overnight fire tore through the garage of a three-story row-home-style dwelling on Hayes Lane in St. Louis' Kingsway West neighborhood, displacing a family of six. Everyone inside escaped safely, and no injuries were reported as crews worked to knock down the flames before they could spread beyond the garage.
Emergency crews responded to the blaze on Hayes Lane early Tuesday morning, according to firstalert4.com, which reported the fire broke out around 3 a.m. near Kingshighway Boulevard. FOX 2 offered a slightly different timeline, reporting that the St. Louis Fire Department placed the fire at around 2:30 a.m. in the 3000 block of Hayes Lane. Both outlets agree the blaze struck in the Kingsway West neighborhood on the city's north side.
Firefighters found the flames coming from the home's garage and managed to keep the fire confined there, preventing it from spreading through the rest of the three-story structure. Six people were inside the home when the fire broke out and all of them made it out safely, with officials confirming no injuries resulted from the incident.
Red Cross Steps In to Help Displaced Family
With the family now without a place to stay, the American Red Cross of Missouri has been requested to assist the six displaced residents. The organization's involvement points to the scale of the disruption even though the fire itself stayed contained to the garage area.
Fire officials and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are now investigating what sparked the flames, and the cause remains unresolved. Firefighters believe the fire appeared to have started in the home's first-floor garage before crews arrived and knocked down the main body of the blaze.
Woman Alleges Domestic Dispute Preceded the Fire
Adding a troubling wrinkle to the investigation, a woman told firstalert4.com that a disturbance with a boyfriend preceded the fire, alleging that he was the one who set the garage ablaze. That allegation has not been confirmed by investigators, and no additional details about an identification, arrest, or charges have been made public as the case continues to unfold.
