The Missouri State Fire Marshal is investigating three suspected arson fires Saturday in Poplar Bluff, which include two building fires and a dumpster fire at the Butler County Courthouse. Extra firefighters were called back to work at the second building fire.
Poplar Bluff firefighters responded to the first suspicious incident, a fully-involved structure fire at 11:23 a.m. at 521 Henderson Avenue. They were called to the second structure fire at 3:24 p.m. at 201 S. Main St. and received a call at 3:34 p.m. to a dumpster fire at 100 N. Main St.
According to Battalion Chief Kevin D. Edgar’s report there appeared to be “three intentionally set fires of the day and all three are being investigated by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office.”
Edgar’s report stated the building on Henderson Avenue was vacant and unsecured. The structure had a metal roof with only wall studs showing. After the seven firefighters arrived from three stations, the crews continued to extinguish any remaining fire and hot spots under the structure.
They used 2,500 gallons of water to put out the fire in the 1,900-square-foot building.
The first crew left the scene at 12:07 p.m. and the last two crews at 1:53 p.m. Municipal Utilities and the Poplar Bluff Police Department were also at the scene.
At 3:24 p.m. 10 firefighters responded to the large vacant building on South Main Street. which according to Edgar’s report has two stories and a basement.
“A moderate amount of smoke was coming from the basement level,” the report stated.
Firefighters used 30 gallons of water to put out the fire on the floor of the basement room located directly off the alleyway.
“This fire produced a lot of smoke which completely filled the rest of the structure,” Edgar’s report stated. “Crews forced access to a boarded up entrance on the corner of the basement and set up a positive ventilation fan to begin forcing the residual smoke out of the building. After several minutes there seemed to be a greater amount of smoke exiting on the side street level. A crew consisting of an officer and two firefighters was called back to assist with the scene.”
The building was searched for any remaining fires but none were found. After a good amount of time the building was finally cleared of all remaining smoke.
In a report by Capt. Brad Jones, the dumpster fire at 3:34 p.m. was at the Butler County Courthouse.
All units were involved in the South Main Street fire, but within minutes two firefighters responded to the dumpster fire and used 50 gallons of water to put it out.
Other agencies at the South Main Street fire were Poplar Bluff Police, Municipal Utilities and Butler County EMS.