Firefighter Suffers Minor Injury in St. Louis Fire

March 28--ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis firefighter was treated at a local hospital for a minor injury that occurred while fighting a house fire Thursday afternoon, authorities say.

Firefighters were called to a three-story house at 3401 Magnolia Avenue about 12:35 p.m., said Capt. Dan Sutter of the St. Louis Fire Department.

The fire caused extensive damage. Firefighters believe it might have started in the basement and spread to the rest of the house.

Sheila Richardson, 54, who lives in the house with her 22-year-old daughter Jamie Richardson, said they both got out safely but may have lost two cats and a dog in the fire.

Sheila Richardson said her daughter was doing laundry in the basement with a friend when her daughter yelled to call 911. She said she believes her daughter was smoking in the basement and may have accidentally started the fire.

Richardson said her family was dealt a blow when her husband died in October, which forced her to sell the family's truck to save money.

"It's been a lousy couple of years," she said.

She said she has no insurance. The home is owned by her sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Jim Tayoan.

A few minutes before the fire on Magnolia, firefighters answered a call to put out a house fire in the 4000 block of Koeln Avenue, Sutter said. The house was unoccupied at the time and no one was injured.

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