Family-owned house up in flames in Chaffee leaves several cats homeless

CHAFFEE Mo. (KBSI) – It happened over the weekend an incredible scene as firefighters arriving to billowing smoke and flames.

A former resident says he believes a candle started the fire. 

Someone who used to live in the house who did not want to be identified said this house was clean and well-kept when it was just him and his uncle living here. 

“It was my uncle’s house, and my uncle passed away six or seven months ago, and I was staying there with my uncle.”

The former resident says when he was living with his uncle, his cousins had gotten evicted from their apartment and had nowhere to go so their uncle let them move in.

“They got evicted because of their hoarding situation. They hoarded anything and everything.”

The hoarding included several objects that took over the house, an RV, and several pets with no home now. 

“She went around at night and fed cats and fed cats and just collected cats she collected anything and everything. At one time I think there was 40 some from what I can remember in the RV and in the house.”

There was not much left of the home after the fire on Saturday night. 

“I heard they gave the animals back to her. I don’t know if she has nowhere to go. And a fireman came around there and said “well where is she? She must’ve been here because there are six cats in a crate back here.”