Update: Maryville Home Destroyed in Suspected Lightning Fire
A lightning strike may have caused a severe blaze on Oxborough Court. The homeowner was evacuated with assistance from an off-duty firefighter, police and a bystander.
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MARYVILLE — A fire that broke out Monday evening, Nov. 17, 2025, in the 6700 block of Oxborough Court in Maryville has left a home likely a total loss, Maryville Fire Chief Doug Dankenbring said.
The Maryville Fire Department responded to the structure fire at 8:28 p.m. Nov. 17, 2025, with automatic mutual aid from neighboring departments in Troy, Glen Carbon, Edwardsville, and Collinsville. The blaze was reported during a storm with significant lightning in the area.
The sole occupant, a woman, was safely evacuated from the home with help from an off-duty Maryville firefighter who lives nearby, a Maryville police officer, and a bystander. The off-duty firefighter described the fire as “very active” upon arrival.
“When the first fire unit arrived, they noticed heavy black smoke at the back of the house,” said Maryville Fire Chief Doug Dankenbring. Firefighters observed heavy fire from the roof at the rear of the house and immediately requested a box alarm, bringing additional crews from Collinsville and Edwardsville to the scene. The Long Lake Fire Protection District provided backup support at Maryville’s field station.
Due to the severity and rapid spread of the fire, crews shifted to defensive operations while also working to protect adjacent homes. The fire destroyed the roof and caused extensive damage, prompting Chief Dankenbring to call it one of the worst fires the Maryville unit has faced in many years.
Firefighters cleared the scene at 12:20 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. No injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters.
“The cause of the fire remains undetermined; however, there was significant lightning presence during the storm,” Dankenbring said.
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