Butler County family and dog spared from business fire

A structure fire at Powell’s Auto Body and Frame at 1999 Highway 142 early Wednesday morning has Dusty and Cindy Powell looking to the Lord for answers, and praising him for not allowing the blaze to cause further damage to them or their neighbors.

The Butler County Fire Department received the call at 5:06 a.m., dispatching 10 firefighters in four fire trucks to the scene. They were at the site for four hours and used 14,000 gallons of water to battle the blaze.

The Powells were alerted to the fire in their business when “someone beat on my door, I don’t know who and said, ‘Your shop is on fire’,” Cindy Powell said.

She ran to a back window, saw the flames and realized “it was moving so fast.”

The shop and several vehicles were lost, but Cindy Powell said, “We are trusting God will turn it for good. There is nothing you can say or do. “

As she was “praying God please protect my house,” Cindy Powell grabbed her 5-year-old shih-tzu and yorkie mix, Bella, and went to her daughter’s home two driveways down.

Her continued prayers were, “Don’t let that hurt anyone. Keep it contained.”

The siding on the back of their home did sustain some damage, she said.

Cindy Powell said, “We do a lot of work for the sheriff’s department,” and a lot of the officers have visited the scene.

When Butler County Chief Deputy Wesley Popp told Cindy Powell someone was looking out for her, she credited the Lord,” and “God’s hand being on that place.”

Cindy Powell said they are thankful to be alive, but nothing is left of their business. “It is gone.”

The Missouri State Fire Marshal explained the cause was undetermined, she said.

The Powells have three children. Their son Dusty Powell Jr. works for his parents and lives next door. Their daughters are Cindy Elliott, who is a registered nurse at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, and Jessica Gray, a substitute teacher at O’Neal Elementary School.

Anyone who wants to may contact the family at Cindy Powell’s email: cathypowell41@yahoo.com.