Personnel with the Licking Police Department and two county fire departments responded to a house fire at 302 Dorsey St. in Licking at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday.
LPD Chief Scott Lindsey said an investigating officer determined that residents of the house had been involved in a dispute with other people and the cause of the fire appeared to be arson. Lindsey said two persons of interest have been interviewed in the case, and the investigation is ongoing.
Firefighters from the Licking and Houston Rural fire departments responded. Houston Rural Chief Don Gaston said the fire appeared to have started in the carport of the large home, which sustained extensive damage.
Gaston said firefighters didn’t get back to Houston until about 8:30 a.m.
Lindsey said Licking police are being assisted in the investigation by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Texas County Sheriff’s Department.