Two Oktibbeha County residents escaped a Wednesday structure fire in the Sunset community after the blaze severely damaged the home and a vehicle parked in a carport.
Central Oktibbeha County Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to 56 Arnold Drive west of Starkville about midnight after the blaze was reported. The western end of the home was fully involved in the fire by the time volunteers arrived on scene. A car parked in the structure’s carport was also engulfed in flames.
Firefighters quickly attacked and subdued the blaze, Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said, but the west end of the home was destroyed. Smoke and heat severely damaged the rest of the structure.
A cooking problem is believed to have sparked the fire, but Rosenhan did not go into the specifics of the possible accident or malfunction. However, he said, officials do not view the circumstances as suspicious.
“We’ve had a few smaller fires in the community over the past few years, but it’s been quite a while for one of this size,” he said.
Volunteers from Adaton and Self Creek fire departments assisted Central during the blaze.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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