Ameren Meter Deemed Cause of Town and Country House Fire

UPDATED: 12:45 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15

Fire Marshal Terry Deguentz tells Patch the Ameren electric meter base attached to the outside of a Town and Country home is blamed for Monday night's fire. He said the cause is being ruled accidental and electrical.

"There was a malfunction in the meter box which sparked the fire. It extended up the wall of the house into the attic where much of the fire was contained, so much of the home remained in tact and was not damaged by the actual fire,"Deguentz said. "However, we used about 40,000 gallons of water to put the fire out, so there is a lot of water damage."

In fact, Deguentz explained that neighborhood is one of the older ones in Town and Country with fire hydrants spread a good distance apart, which is why fire trucks lined numerous neighborhood streets with hoses carrying water to the scene.

"Water wasn't a factor in fighting the blaze, we had plenty of water," Deguentz said. "We just had to stretch down the street to get it."

Fire crews cleared the scene around 10:30 p.m. Monday.

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Fire trucks lined several streets in Town and Country's Mason Valley Subdivision Monday night as crews from several West County fire departments battled a two-alarm house fire.

Captain Gary Hoezer tells Patch no one was injured in the fire at 15555 Foxleigh Court, but the homeowner was home at the time with her children when the blaze broke out. Hoelzer said she got the kids, herself and the pets out of the home and called fire crews.

Crews got the call around 7:23 p.m. Monday and are still on the scene of the two-story house fire as of 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Deputy Chief Tim Dorsey tells Patch they are still trying to determine the cause of the fire and where it originated. The fire marshal is investigating.

Dorsey said at least seven different fire departments responded, including West County EMS and Fire, Metro West, Ladue, Des Peres and Valley Park. He said 35 to 45 firefighters were on scene Monday night and when they arrived they found heavy smoke and fire. Initially there were reports of an explosion, but Dorsey said crews did not find evidence of that.

"From what our crews could tell upon arrival, there was no explosion," Dorsey said.

Neighbors also gathered across the street from the fire, watching as crews battled the blaze. 

"I've lived here for 25 years and this is the second massive fire I've seen here in this neighborhood," Chuck Lenz tells Patch. "It's devastating. Especially when you have a family of four children and all you have now are the clothes on your back. Now you have to work with an insurance company and you have to go back and try to remember what you had."

Dorsey said the fire was on the first and second floor of the house. He said the home suffered smoke, heat and water damage, but he also saw parts of the home that were not damaged.

"It's not a total loss," Dorsey said. 

However, the home is not safe for the family to stay in Monday night. Red Cross was on the scene to help the family, but they tell Patch they spoke with the homeowner and the family has a place to stay.