Multiple area departments responded to a house fire Tuesday morning just south of Waterloo.

Shortly before 7 a.m., the Waterloo Fire Department was called to the report of a basement filling with smoke in the 6100 block of State Route 3 between Kaskaskia Road and Sportsman Road.

Waterloo Fire Chief Aaron Shive said all occupants of the residence – two adults and a child – exited the home safely and all pets were accounted for.

Soon after the initial smoke report, flames were discovered inside the structure. Eventually, the fire crept through the walls of the first and second floors of the residence – which is down a long private drive off the highway.

More firefighter manpower was requested at about 7:45 a.m. in continued efforts to battle the blaze.

“Fire keeps creeping on us. We’re trying not to lose this house,” Shive could be heard saying on emergency radio dispatch at about this time.

Assisting Waterloo on scene were the Columbia, Red Bud, Maeystown and Hecker fire departments in addition to Monroe County EMS and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

The Columbia, Red Bud and Maeystown fire departments provided tanker trucks and manpower, Shive said, while Hecker provided additional manpower.

Most of the mutual aid departments had cleared the scene by about 9:30 a.m., with Waterloo firefighters remaining at the property into the late morning.

Shive said the fire looks to have originated in the basement near an electrical box. He said that while the residence is not a total loss, there was heavy damage sustained inside due to fire, smoke and water.

Per county records, the listed owners of the residence are Patrick and Nicole Jaranowski.