A Joplin woman escapes a fire in a vacant house.

The fire occurred last night around 8:30 in a vacant house in Joplin. Fire crews were called to the scene and found the structure on fire with flames and smoke visible on the roof. As firefighters searched the area, a woman climbed out of an upstairs window on the front side of the house. The woman was covered in soot and said she had been sleeping in a closet in the house. Neighbors say the house was vacant but that they had noticed some activity around the structure in recent days. The unnamed woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The Joplin Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.