Lake Saint Louis House Fire Was Arson
On the evening of August 24th Lake Saint Louis Police and Lake St. Louis Fire Protection District, assisted by the Wentzville and O’Fallon Fire Protection Districts and the St. Charles County Ambulance District responded to the report of a fire in the residence at 19 Auvergne Drive. Upon their arrival firefighters observed heavy smoke coming from the residence. The owner of the home met police and fire personnel in the front yard who advised he had fallen asleep on the couch watching television and was awoken by an unknown noise and discovered the house full of smoke. The subject stated he immediately grabbed his dogs and left the home and dialed 911 from his cell phone.
After a quick search of the home to ensure no other occupants were present, firefighters were able to locate the seat of the fire in a lower level storage room. The fire was extinguished and damage to the home was relatively moderate and confined primarily to the lower level. After salvage operations were completed an investigation into the cause of the fire was initiated. This is common practice with all structure fires. The on-scene investigative team consisted of Captain Chris Fay from Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District, Chris Newbold from Wentzville Fire Protection District as well as Officer Andy Stowers from the O’Fallon Police Department, his partner BO - an accelerant detecting K9, and Lake Saint Louis Police Officers.
Once the on scene investigation was completed, including the taking of samples as indicated by the K9 for lab analysis, the home was released to the homeowner. All information obtained from the on scene investigation was turned over to Lake Saint Louis Police Detective Sergeant Steve Davis for processing and further investigation. At the time the fire was listed as “undetermined - still under investigation.”
Lab results confirmed that the collected samples tested positive for gasoline. With this new information detectives again spoke with the homeowner who agreed to take a polygraph test. Prior to taking the polygraph examination the subject confessed to intentionally setting the fire during an interview with Police Detective Gary McIntyre. The subject, Chad Devine, was immediately arrested and taken into custody while police applied for warrants on charges of Second Degree Arson, a class C felony. He is being held in the St. Charles County jail awaiting a preliminary hearing and his bond has been set at $30,000 cash only. If convicted Devine faces up to seven years in prison.
Lake Saint Louis Police Chief Mike Force and Fire Chief Jeff Smith applaud the excellent investigative and police work performed by all the agencies and personnel involved in solving this case. It is a real testament to the teamwork utilized by these agencies on a daily basis.
Thank You for Stopping By Our 2007 Open House
We would like to thank everyone for attending our Open House! We wish the weather could have cooperated a bit better. All the same, we had a great turnout and are looking forward to next year!
Special thanks goes to our vendors and friends, without you our Open House wouldn’t be a success!
- O’Fallon Fire Protection District
- Wentzville Fire Protection District
- Lake St. Louis Community Association
- Lake St. Louis Police Department
- Lake St. Louis Parks Department
- Lake St. Louis Public Works
- City of Lake St. Louis
- Safe Kids St. Charles County
- Officer Stowers and “Bo”
- Lowe's
- McDonald’s
- Bass Pro Shop
- Kuk Sool Won
- Missouri State Water Patrol
- Air Evac Helicopter
- MB Motorsports
- Cintas
- Cindy’s Zoo
- Fun Services
- Jumping Jeans
A huge THANK YOU to all of your Lake St. Louis Fire Protection District volunteers!!! The traditional volunteers, reserve volunteers and support services members are an invaluable asset!
We look forward to next year and remind you to “Practice Your Escape Plan!”
For more information regarding fire safety visit: www.nfpa.org
|
 |
The Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District Reminds Lake Saint Louis Residents to "Practice Your Escape Plan"
It's time for Fire Prevention Week, and from October 7-13 The Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind local residents to 'Practice Your Escape Plan.' During this year's fire safety campaign, firefighters and safety advocates will be spreading the word about the dangers of home fires and teaching local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.
According to the latest NFPA research, 3,030 people died in 2005 in home fires – that’s roughly eight people every day. Being alerted to a fire and knowing what to do to escape from one are extremely important, yet only 23% of households have planned and practiced a home fire escape plan.
"Many times when we speak to residents who have experienced a fire in their home, they recall becoming confused and disoriented by the conditions and severity of the situation – but they realized they needed to get out fast. Sometimes there are only seconds to escape, but there’s no question that having a plan in place that has been practiced saves precious time and makes survival more likely. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will prompt folks across America to plan and practice their escape.” - National Fire Protection Association
Are you prepared for a fire? Although it’s difficult to prepare for the unexpected, reviewing the information below and taking action based on it to plan for a fire is strongly recommended… and don’t forget to practice your escape plan during Fire Prevention Week!
Install working smoke alarms on every level; and inside each bedroom and outside of each sleeping area.
- Develop a fire escape plan that identifies two ways out of each room and a family meeting place outside.
- Make sure your plan allows for any specific needs in your household. If everyone knows what to do, everyone can get out quickly.
- Practice your plan, at least twice a year.
- Some studies have shown that some children and adults may not awaken to the sound of a smoke alarm; they may need help waking up.
- If the smoke alarm sounds: Go to your closest exit, and if there is smoke on your way out, turn and use your second way out. If you must exit through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your exit. Don’t take time to pick up belongings; just get out and help others get out. Move fast but stay calm.
Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. For 85 years fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record. For more information visit: www.firepreventionweek.com!