Teen Reported Missing as Suspected Arson Investigated After Winfield Mobile Home Fire
- John Eads
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
WINFIELD, Mo. — A 17-year-old is now listed as missing as authorities investigate a mobile home fire in Winfield that the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says appears to have been intentionally set.
The fire was reported at approximately 3:53 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14, at 51 Darrell Drive, off Mansion Road. The mobile home was fully involved when firefighters responded.
The juvenile had reportedly last been seen at the residence around 3:15 a.m., less than 40 minutes before the fire was reported.
Firefighters searched the home as crews worked the scene. No human remains were discovered, and no injuries have been reported.
Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District Chief Arron Lee told Lincoln CountyWatch earlier Friday morning that no one was found inside the home.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has since provided additional information about the circumstances surrounding the fire and the search for the missing teenager.
The juvenile’s mother told deputies he became upset before she left the residence, throwing what she described as a tantrum and punching walls. She later returned and discovered the fire.
She also reported that approximately one month earlier, the teenager had threatened to burn the residence down.
That statement is among the circumstances being reviewed as part of the investigation. The Sheriff’s Office said the preliminary cause appears to be arson, and the Missouri State Fire Marshal was expected to respond to investigate the fire.
No determination has been announced identifying who started the fire, and the juvenile has not been publicly identified as a suspect or accused of setting it.
The Sheriff’s Office also reported that the juvenile has a criminal history and is currently under probation and parole supervision for robbery. No information provided Friday morning indicates that history has been connected to the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, deputies have been attempting to locate the teenager.
The immediate area around Darrell Drive has been canvassed along with residences he is known to frequent, but those efforts had not located him as of the latest update. He has now been entered as a missing juvenile.
The teenager’s name is not being released by Lincoln CountyWatch at this time because he is a juvenile. Lincoln CountyWatch has requested additional information regarding his identity and the ongoing search and will evaluate releasing identifying information if authorities make it public for the purpose of locating him.
The investigation into the fire and the effort to locate the teenager are continuing simultaneously.
The mobile home sustained extensive damage and the fire had been completely extinguished by approximately 5 a.m., when Lincoln CountyWatch arrived at the scene.
The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s investigation is expected to help determine where and how the fire started. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident while deputies work to locate the missing 17-year-old.
Lincoln CountyWatch will update this story as additional confirmed information becomes available.
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Story by: John Eads
Primary Sources
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
Interview with Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District Chief Arron Lee
Emergency radio traffic
Lincoln CountyWatch on-scene reporting
Lincoln CountyWatch photographs and video
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