JEFFERSON COUNTY — Firefighters responded to two separate fires Monday morning in Jefferson County, one that destroyed a home and another that destroyed a barn.

Jefferson Rural Fire Protection responded around 3:11 a.m. to a report of a fire on the back porch of a home in the 21-thousand block of Mayflower Lane in rural Texico.

Centralia Fire Protection and Waltonville firefighters were called to the scene for mutual aid, and upon their arrival, flames were already going through the roof of the home.

Those firefighters had been standing by at the Jefferson Rural station when they were called to assist, as Jefferson Rural was also fighting a barn fire east of Mt. Vernon at the time.

The barn’s owner reported hearing an explosion around 1 a.m. and found his 65 by 150-foot pole barn in the 15-thousand block of North McCarty Lane was on fire.

As firemen were arriving at the scene, a propane tank reportedly exploded, blowing off part of the roof of a nearby 30 by 60-foot milking structure that also sustained fire damage.   A tractor, motor home, truck, as well as various farm equipment and wagons, were all lost in the fire.

The cause of both fires remains undetermined. The Red Cross was called to assist the Texico family who lost most of their possessions.

While neither fire is being listed as suspicious, Jefferson Rural firefighters are asking anyone with information on the barn fire to contact them or the sheriff’s department.