Jefferson Fire officials say the cause of a fire at a rural Mt. Vernon home that appears to have started in a vehicle or attached garage and spread to part of the residence early Saturday afternoon is currently undetermined.
Firemen say the owner had just left the home a short time before the neighbor reported seeing smoke.
When the firemen arrived, the fire was starting to spread through the attic into the home. Fire impacted several of the rooms and resulted in extensive heat and smoke damage throughout the home.
A dog was rescued from the fire and given oxygen. It is expected to make a full recovery.
A state deputy fire marshal will investigate the fire scene to try to determine a cause.
Jefferson Fire received mutual aid assistance on the scene from the city of Mt. Vernon, Kell, Waltonville, Bluford, and Benton. The Centralia Fire Protection District and McLeansboro Firemen stood by at the Jefferson Fire Station in the event of another fire.
The fire call came in around noon, with firemen on the scene for about two hours.
