Springfield firefighters work to save house in Friday blaze

A fire caused extensive damage to a house in the 2000 block of Leland Drive Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. The Springfield Fire Rescue Division arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the front and right side of the structure. The house was a vacant rental property and the Fire Marshal was called to determine a cause for the fire. The fire department was able to keep the fire from damaging the surrounding houses. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

A fire caused extensive damage to a house in the 2000 block of Leland Drive Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. The Springfield Fire Rescue Division arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the front and right side of the structure. The house was a vacant rental property and the Fire Marshal was called to determine a cause for the fire. The fire department was able to keep the fire from damaging the surrounding houses. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Springfield firefighters arrived on the scene of a Friday house fire two minutes after the initial 911 call and were able to save a significant portion of the house, according to the chief.

Callers reported the fire about 10:51 a.m. in the 2000 block of Leland Drive on the city’s southeast side near Burnett Road.

Friday arrived by 10:53 a.m. and found heavy fire showing from front and right side of home, according to Jacob King, chief of the Springfield Fire Rescue Division.

The callers said no one was in the house, which was a rental unit without a current tenant.

Firefighters did a check for life safety and placed the blaze under control by 11:16 a.m.

“Our crews were able to get a quick knockdown on the fire to reduce the growth and to sustain a significant portion of the house,” King said.

That work prevented the fire from spreading to any neighboring properties.

No cause had been determined by early Friday afternoon, but investigators from the department’s fire marshal bureau were on scene to investigate.

A fire caused extensive damage to a house in the 2000 block of Leland Drive Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. The Springfield Fire Division arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the front and right side of the structure. The house was a vacant rental property and the Fire Marshall was called to determine a cause for the fire. The fire department was able to keep the fire from damaging the surrounding houses. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

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Credit: Bill Lackey