Firefighters from the Wentzville Fire Protection District responded to a report of a residential structure fire with a person trapped in the 200 hundred block of Kerstyn Drive at 5:33 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2012. First arriving emergency units found a two-story residence with the home owner visible on the second floor trapped by heavy smoke.
The first arriving firefighters made a forcible entry into the residence and were met by moderate to heavy smoke conditions. Fire crews made their way through the smoke to the second floor master bedroom where the resident was trapped. Other firefighters searched for and located the fire on the first floor of the home near the kitchen. The resident was rescued by firefighters and brought outside to safety. The resident was then taken to an ambulance to be checked by Paramedics from the St. Charles County Ambulance District. The fire was extinguished quickly with a minimum amount of damage to the structure.
Fire crews performed overhaul and salvage operations to check for any fire extension. The firefighters also used a large fan to clear the smoke from the home. Wentzville firefighters were assisted by firefighters from the Lake St. Louis and New Melle Fire Protection Districts at the emergency scene. A fire cause investigation was conducted by the Wentzville Fire Protection District. The cause of the fire was determined to be the accidental discard of smoking material in a trash can.
The Wentzville Fire District covers 88 square miles of Western St. Charles County and includes the cities of Wentzville, Foristell, Flint Hill, and Josephville; as well as large portions of Lake St. Louis, Dardenne Prairie and O’Fallon.
