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NOVINGER, MO. -- Firefighters in Novinger are left puzzled after a house fire burns a home down to the ground. They're puzzled because they said they put the fire out when they left the scene and that the house was still standing. But, somehow, the following afternoon, the house was found, burnt to the ground.

Barry Mitchell, the Fire Chief of the Adair Co. #1 Fire Department, which is part of the Novinger Northern district, said his firefighters left the scene of the fire around 11 p.m. Saturday with the fire put out.  He said the fire department was not called a second time to put the second fire out. He said he's shocked that the home is now burned down to the ground. 

"There was no smoke showing," said Mitchell.  "We had put it out. We used the imaging camera to make sure we had the fire totally out. The imaging camera showed the temperature of the structure was less than 68 degrees around the whole place. We just don't know how it rekindled, or if it did. We just don't know. It's undetermined."

Mitchell said the initial fire started in the chimney and spread to the roof of the home. The house had a sheet metal roof on top and then another roof underneath.

Because the house was turned over to the landowner, and the fire department did not get a second call for help to put the second fire out, Mitchell said they are not going to investigate it and it will be left undetermined as to what happened.

Here is the link to our initial report Saturday evening.