Jefferson City firefighters responded early Sunday morning to a fire in a two-story house at 1207 E. McCarty St.
When they arrived shortly after 1:40 a.m., firefighters discovered heavy smoke showing and an electrical box sparking outside the structure. They searched the structure and found no one inside.
Fire department division chief Jason Turner reported the fire was contained within 30 minutes, but fire crews remained on the scene through early morning sifting through the debris to extinguish hidden flames and determine the fire's cause. The Missouri Fire Marshal's office is assisting local authorities with the investigation.
The structure sustained heavy damage throughout and is considered a total loss, Turner stated. Portions of the floor and walls collapsed contributing to the challenge of operating inside the structure. A firefighter was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries from a fall.
The home appeared to be unoccupied at the time of the fire, but investigators are interviewing witnesses.
Five fire companies with 30 fire department personnel responded to the scene. Off-duty department personnel responded to fill in staffing at fire stations until early morning in order to provide service to the rest of the city.