Fire destroys local business

Monday, February 11, 2002

50 firemen, two ladder trucks keep blaze contained

SIKESTON -- Smoke still lingers over downtown Sikeston this morning after a Thursday night fire destroyed a Sikeston business.

Officers were dispatched to Sikeston Frozen Foods on Linn Street at about 7:30 p.m. and immediately knew there was a danger to many buildings.

"(The fire) was found by an officer on routine patrol and it was through the roof at that time," said Sikeston Department of Public Safety lieutenant Ken Dicus.

The danger to other downtown buildings was of primary concern to firefighters but they were able to contain the fire to the main building, saving several buildings in the process.

Dicus said that some other buildings did sustain some minor damage. Homestead Electronics Sales & Rent To Own received some smoke damage and the apartment above Homestead received some smoke and water damage. Dicus said that he also thought Jeremiah's may have received some minor smoke damage.

"And then a lot of people are probably having to wash their cars this morning in that area," Dicus joked.

However the damage could have been much worse and the fire could have easily spread to the older, adjoining buildings.

"That was our major concern," Dicus said. "We knew we had a lot of fire in the main fire building when we arrived. We gave it our best shot to try to knock it down inside there but it was just too heavy of fire conditions for the crews to be proactive inside the building to try to get at it. We had to pull them out into a defensive action and then your goal is try to keep it in the building and we were fortunate to be able to do that. I wouldn't have bet money on that at one time last night."

One reason the fire was able to be contained to the Sikeston Frozen Foods building was because of a second ladder truck the city recently purchased, DPS officials said.

"In my opinion the second ladder truck was the deciding factor in being able to contain it to the building of origin," Dicus said. "I think we most definitely would have had heavy losses to the second building, Homestead and the apartments, without the second ladder. I couldn't have got an out-of-town truck here quick enough to have made a difference."

The origin of the fire has yet to be determined and the state fire marshal has been called in to investigate but Dicus said the fire doesn't appear suspicious in nature.

"It is usually standard to call in the fire marshal when the dollar loss is this high," Dicus said.

Approximately 50 firefighters from Sikeston DPS battled the blaze that took about three hours to get under control. The Miner and Morehouse Fire Departments also assisted Sikeston DPS providing additional coverage to the city while firefighters were at the scene.

One firefighter did receive minor injuries and was taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center where they were treated and released.

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