Fire and water destroyed a home in rural Mills County, Saturday morning. According to reports, the blaze at a residence located along 370th Street, north of Hastings, may have been caused by a wood burning stove, but the incident remains under investigation. Firefighters from Hastings, Malvern and Emerson responded to the blaze, which was initially dispatched as a 1st floor chimney fire. The call came in at around 6-a.m. Officials said firefighters needed to knock out a wall in order to control the spread of the flames from the first floor to the upstairs area.

None of the home’s five occupants nor their pets, or firefighters were injured, but the home was declared a total loss due to the amount of water and smoke damage.  American Red Cross volunteers responded to assist the family in finding shelter and other necessities.