Early Saturday fires destroyed one building, damaged a kitchen

Two early Saturday fires remain under investigation, as separate fire departments work to complete their reports.

Steve Cearlock, spokesman for the Cole County Fire Protection District, said a building near Henley was demolished in a fire reported to them around 3:20 a.m. Saturday.

The cause of that fire wasn't determined Saturday evening.

Cearlock described the building as a 40-by-60 steel structure that included living quarters, located at the southern end of Sommerer Road, a private lane off Route H northeast of Henley.

The structure "was fully involved and partially collapsed" when six of the department's trucks and 15 firefighters reached the fire, Cearlock said.

One resident, who was home at the time, reported the fire and then got out of the building safely.

Firefighters reported the fire "under control" shortly after 4:30 a.m.

Cearlock said the building was a "total loss," but the value of that loss also had not been determined Saturday evening.

The department didn't release the owners' names.

Earlier Saturday morning - about 12:15 a.m. - Jefferson City firefighters to an apartment fire at 2101 Alpine Court, on the city's east side.

Investigators believe it was a "cooking fire" and was confined to the kitchen of one of the apartments.

The fire filled the building with smoke, and one of the building's occupants was knocking on apartment doors to rouse residents and evacuate them, even as the fire crews reached the scene.

The firefighters found only smoke - no flames - when they arrived.

Ambulance staff who responded to the call examined at least three of the residents for possible smoke inhalation, but no one was taken to a hospital.

Residents were allowed to return to their apartments after firefighters cleared the scene early Saturday.

As of Saturday evening, there still was no damage estimate.

Alpine Court is a cul de sac off Hutton Lane.

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