Two homes a total loss after large fire in South City

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - A fire broke out at three homes in South City Saturday, firefighters tell News 4.

The fire broke out around 1:00 p.m. in the 1900 block of Knox, which is in the Ellendale neighborhood, near Hampton and I-44. The smoke could be seen for miles. Firefighters tell News 4 the fire started at one home and spread to two others, one of which was vacant and being rehabbed.

Three people were inside the home that first caught fire, they made it out safely. It is unclear if a man who lives in the other occupied house was home at the time, firefighters said.

“The occupants in the original fire building--from their testimony--they feel as though the fire started somewhere outside,” said St. Louis Fire captain Leon Whitener. “Right now, we have not determined that.”

Both occupied homes are a total loss. A GoFundMe page has been started to help two of the victims.

“We didn’t know how bad it was,” said Nicki Ball, friend of the three victims who lived inside the house where the fire started. “We thought we were going to help look for cats.”

Ball said six cats from the house are unaccounted for.

Donations for the victims are being accepted the Small Change bar in Benton Park and Planter’s House in St. Louis.

“After the initial devastation of feeling so terrible for my friends--just saying like ‘OK, what can we do right now?’” said friend Casey Lambert. “It was very clear, very quickly how serious this was.”

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