Seven people must find a new place to live after a suspected chimney fire destroyed their house southeast of Faucett Monday morning.

Chief Dennis Johnson of the South Central Buchanan County Fire Protection District says between 25 and 30 volunteer firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading but were forced to let it burn itself out.

“We fought the fire for about three hours in 40 mile-an-hour wind, and still had too many hot spots to consider being able to what you’d call ‘put it out’ and be safe with it,” Johnson said in an interview, “so we backed off at that point in time and allowed the structure to burn itself up.”

“It is still burning. We are still monitoring it.”

Crews from Central Fire, Dekalb, Dearborn and Camden Point responded to the fire call, first reported at about 3:45 a.m. in the 4700 block of DD highway, about a mile southeast of Faucett.

The house was destroyed. The cause has not officially been determined, but Johnson says he knows where his investigation will lead once the fire is out. He says “it was no doubt related to the chimney flue.”

“I’m satisfied with its origin and it being accidental in nature.”

The American Red Cross was called in to offer disaster assistance to the four children and three adults living in the house.