Weekend structure fire under investigation

The Missouri State Fire Marshal is investigating a building fire to which Poplar Bluff firefighters responded twice during the weekend. Butler County firefighters assisted by supplying a water tanker.

The first call to the fire at 2065 Iron Bridge Road was at 6:22 p.m. Saturday and the second was at 12:32 p.m. Sunday.

According to Capt. Tobby Tuggle’s report, while en route the crews saw heavy smoke. When they arrived they found the structure was mostly involved in fire, with flames coming through the roof and a front exterior wall already collapsed. There was a large RV in the driveway close to the structure.

“The owner was moving it back, it had already gotten radiant heat damage,” Tuggle said. “We pulled a 2.5 (inch) line to cool and protect a 500 gallon propane tank.”

Also receiving radiant heat damage from the structure fire was a 2007 Chevy Tahoe.

The hydrant was too far away from the structure, so the city crews were using tank water from the trucks. Another city crew arrived and supplied addition water. Butler County firefighters also arrived with their tanker to supply water to the city crews. Muncipal Utilities arrived and disconnected the power. After the fire was under control, one call back crew was requested.

The eight firefighters at the scene included Tuggle, Capt. Chad Bell, Lt. Andrew Fox, and firefighters Austin Armes, Kenneth Felts, Joshua Buhler and Tanner Tibbs, and Battalion Chief Stacy Harman.

The building owners are listed as Cheryl and Justin Mueller. While the origin of the fire to the home is listed as undetermined, it is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal.

The first time at the scene, firefighters used 11,000 gallons of water.

On Sunday, five firefighters returned to 2065 Iron Bridge Road where hot embers or ash may have rekindled the fire, said the report by Capt. Kevin Edgar. They used 750 gallons of water to put out the fire. Most of the structure had burned on Saturday except for a portion on the structure’s main floor. On Saturday, some of the firefighters were on scene nearly five hours while Sunday, the crews were there about an hour.