Firefighters spend weekend battling structure, grass fires

Area firefighters handled various fires in different spots throughout the county over the weekend.

About 4 a.m. Friday, firefighters with Scott Township and Fort Scott Fire Department doused a structure fire in the area of Charles and Pyle streets.

Scott Township Chief Jason Eastwood said the fire originated in a metal outbuilding "like a barn" and burned the structure to the ground. He said the cause of the fire has not been determined.

"It was a total loss," Eastwood said.

Firefighters were not on scene long. Eastwood said the fire was under control by 4:30 a.m.

Scott Township firefighters also dealt with a structure fire about 1 p.m. Saturday at a residence in the 2100 block of Maple Road. Eastwood said this fire also involved an outbuilding that burned to the ground.

"The homeowner was burning an outbuilding ... an old chicken coop," he said, adding it was later found the owner was "trying to remove the old building to create room for a new one."

Firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire, which Eastwood said was initially reported as a grass fire.

"A passerby reported the fire and we investigated," he said. "It was on the ground and burned up."