BELLE — A rural home south of Vienna sustained significant damage Sunday, June 11, after firefighters battled a structure fire that spread into the attic while contending with severe weather conditions.

According to Vienna Fire Protection District Chief Mike Smith, crews were dispatched at 10:33 a.m. to a residential structure fire in the 14000 block of County Road 616, approximately nine miles south of Vienna.

The structure fire came shortly after firefighters had responded to a separate emergency. Earlier that morning, crews were dispatched to a one-vehicle crash on Highway AA after a vehicle left the roadway. When Vienna firefighters arrived, the Maries County Sheriff’s Office, Maries-Osage Ambulance District and the Argyle Fire Protection District were already on scene. Argyle firefighters had extricated the driver before Vienna crews arrived, and Vienna personnel assisted with traffic control until the patient was transported by ambulance. Firefighters had been back at the station only about 10 to 15 minutes before being dispatched to the structure fire.

While en route to the residence, firefighters were advised the home had likely been struck by lightning.

“It was reported to us, while we was in route, that it was struck by lightning, and there was smoke inside the residence,” Smith said.

The first-arriving firefighter, Carson Hayes, reported heavy smoke coming from the structure. Firefighters responding found the residence heavily filled with smoke and fire visible around the home.

Crews established a water supply and quickly began attacking the fire, but officials said the blaze had already extended into the attic space. Firefighters then began opening the structure to access and extinguish hidden fire.

Command requested assistance from the Dixon Rural Fire Protection District and the Argyle Fire Protection District to help provide additional water supply operations.

Smith said firefighters had the fire knocked down within approximately 30 minutes of arriving on scene. However, crews spent an additional 45 minutes ventilating the structure and removing heat and smoke from the residence.

Firefighters encountered challenges while ventilating the structure due to the home’s two separate roof systems.

“You first think you’re dealing with just a metal roof, and then find out you have an additional roof with shingles on top of that,” Smith said.

Ventilation operations required firefighters to cut through multiple layers of roofing material to reach the attic space where the fire had spread.

Firefighters also rescued a pet cat from the smoke-filled home during the operation. Smith said firefighter Alex Prater located and removed the animal while working with the attack crew inside the residence.

Complicating the operation further, crews continued firefighting efforts as a heavy thunderstorm moved through the area.

“I thought our crews did an exceptional job as far as getting there in time, especially with the weather conditions that we had and the distance that we had to travel in that severe thunderstorm,” Smith said. “Once we got there, we made a pretty quick knockdown of the actual fire itself.”

The Vienna Fire Protection District responded with Engine 7101, Engine 7201, Tanker 7111, Tanker 7211 and Truck 7121. Mutual aid assistance was provided by the Argyle and Dixon fire departments.