It can only take minutes for a fire to flame out of control. Some residents in the southwest part of Springfield say they're concerned there isn't a fire station nearby.
Fire Chief Barry Helmerichs remembers a fire at Panther Creek where the house burned down. He said a part of the reason the fire got out of control: a delayed response by the fire department because the closest fire station was 10 minutes away. A challenge the department still faces.
Springfield firefighters try to respond to a fire within 4 minutes. However, that doesn't happen for the growing southwest corner of the capital city, like Piper Glenn and Panther Creek subdivisions. That concerns Howard Hood.
"In a time of emergency you're not sure where the heck are they," said Hood, who lives in Panther Creek.
Each second matters. The Koke Mill fire station battles White Oaks Mall traffic.
Roughly every 30 seconds, a fire can double in size.