De Soto Fire Department

09/08/2026

Press release from this mornings fire.

PRESS RELEASE - Structure Fire

At approximately 02:00 am Monday, September 7, 2026, we responded to a call for an unknown fire in the area of North 9th Street near Stewart Street. The DeSoto Police Department arrived shortly after receipt of the call and reported a structure fire. The responding pumper radioed to upgrade the alarm to a structure response.

Upon arrival, the crew encountered an advanced fire at the home and initiated an attack as other units responded and arrived. Approximately 25 minutes after arrival, crews were interior in the living room, working to open up the ceiling for fire attack when a large portion of the ceiling material comprised of drywall, secondary ceiling 2x4’s, plaster and lath, chicken wire, and a large number of bricks from a discontinued chimney came in on the crew, temporarily trapping them.

Other crews immediately initiated rescue efforts. Three firefighters in total were caught or struck by the collapse, two were transported to local hospitals, and the third was evaluated at the scene by Valle Ambulance.

One firefighter has been released with a broken tailbone and strained neck muscles and is home resting. The second firefighter has been admitted for observation and additional testing for a back injury. Please keep these firefighters and their families in our thoughts.

Crews performed flawlessly given the situation. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Ultimately, the fire was upgraded to a second alarm with an additional ambulance due to the collapse. We want to thank the many mutual aid agencies that responded to help and also backfilled our stations to cover other calls.

For any further information, please contact Chief Fitzgerald at 636-586-2557 EX-5800.

Valle Ambulance District
De Soto Fire Department
Hillsboro Fire Protection District
Hematite Fire Protection District
Jefferson R-7 Fire Protection District
Festus Fire Department
Mapaville Fire Protection District
Dunklin Fire Protection District
De Soto Missouri Police Department
Jefferson County 9-1-1 Dispatch Official
Saline Valley Fire Protection District
Cedar Hill Fire Protection District
Crystal City Fire Department
Joachim Plattin Emergency Medical Service

08/05/2026

Come join our team!

07/04/2026

Today we embark upon our country turning 250 years old. May your day be fun-filled and safe. 🎇🎆

Happy Fourth of July, DeSoto Community! 🇺🇸

06/28/2026

Thank you to the First Baptist Church De Soto for the delicious home made bread and thinking of our firefighters today!

06/21/2026

Thank you to the Leonard’s for the Father’s Day meal they provided to the on duty crew! It was delicious and greatly appreciated!

06/17/2026

De Soto Rural Captain Emmons has served the DeSoto area for many years and was recently diagnosed with cancer. Proceeds from the shirts will go to Captain Emmons and his family to ease the burden.

🚨🎗️Supporting Our Own 🚨🎗️

It is with heavy hearts that we share that Captain Emmons has recently been diagnosed with cancer, commonly found in our line of work. Throughout his career, Capt. Emmons has dedicated his life to serving and protecting our community, as well as always being there when others needed help.

Now, it’s our turn to answer the call for him. 🚨🙏🏼

To help support Capt. Emmons and his family during this difficult journey, our team is hosting a T-shirt fundraiser. Every shirt purchased will assist the family and allow the family to focus on what matters most, his treatment, recovery, and time together.

We are calling on our community, fellow brothers & sisters, friends, and family to join us in supporting Capt. Emmons in his journey ahead. 🎗️

T-Shirt fundraiser link will be posted below.

📣 It must be noted that every week the link will expire for the company to process the order, therefore a new link will be uploaded and attached in this post.

https://wade-swarriors2026iiii.itemorder.com/shop/home/