Fire destroys second vacant structure in three days

For the second time in three days, the Poplar Bluff Fire Department responded to a four alarm fire in a vacant, unsecured and condemned two-story home.

Fire crews were dispatched at 5 a.m. Thursday to 724 Cynthia St. According to Captain Chad Bell’s report, the structure was fully involved when they arrived.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal was contacted. Two off-duty crews were called back to work.

According to Bell, once the water supply was established, fire crews extinguished the first floor and most of the second floor before firefighters went inside for a primary search. Finding no one, the crews returned to fighting the fire. After the building collapsed, Bell’s report stated all the crew members were accounted for before they continued their attack on the structure.

Municipal Utilities employees removed an electrical line so the aerial ladder could be raised higher.

Spire shut the main gas line off because the collapse of a wall affecting the meter. The crew arrived at the scene assisted in extinguishing the fire.

When the first call back crew came to the scene, a second call back crew was called to stand by at Fire Station One.

Firefighters did a shift change at the scene.

Approximately 20,000 gallon of water was used to extinguish the fire.

According to records, Maurice Hammond has owned the property since 2023.

Firefighters at the scene were Mykel Limanen, Joshua Buhler, Jon Miller, Kenneth Felts, Cameron Rose, Tanner Tibbs, Capt. Chad Bell and Chief Mike Moffitt.