BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, Mo. – Months after a massive fire damaged several homes on Druid Drive in Bellefontaine Neighbors, the properties remain vacant and charred.

In March, Kim Perry’s house was one of seven on the street that burned during a four-alarm fire fueled by 60 mile-per-hour winds. The flames spread quickly, with 28 fire vehicles filling the neighborhood. Neighbor Kiara Perry remembers it well.

“I heard Mr. Jack up the street screaming. So, I came outside and that’s when I saw the fire jumping house to house,” she said.

Kim Perry had already moved out before the fire. So when she filed an insurance claim, she decided to tear down the damaged home. Under Missouri law, cities can hold a portion of insurance payouts, up to 25%, in escrow accounts until property issues are reso

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