A March 4 fire linked to an Ameren Missouri meter box caused minor damage to the Pharmax office building, 420 N. Second St., in Festus. No one was inside the building at the time, Festus Fire Chief Jeff Broombaugh said.
The office building is next to the Pharmax pharmacy, 116 Walnut St., that was not affected by the fire, Broombaugh said.
He said the Festus Fire Department received a call about the fire at about 10:40 a.m.
“(Ameren) was there changing out meter boxes,” he said. “While (the Ameren employee) worked, there was a malfunction with a short at the meter base and it started melting wires in the meter. The Ameren worker attempted to put it out with an extinguisher.
“It was pretty much out when we got there, but the meter base was still smoking. Crews pulled the soffit down to make sure fire didn’t get into the attic. They also forced entry to make sure fire did not get into the building. They pulled the drywall out to make sure there was no fire in the wall.”
Broombaugh said the fire damage was minimal, and officials issued no restrictions for the building’s use.
“The fire damage was to the meter base and meter panel,” he said.
Broombaugh said the only other damage was to the areas where the fire crews forced entry to the building and created access to make sure the fire had not spread.
Crews remained on the scene until about 12:45 p.m., he said.
He said the Crystal City and Herculaneum fire departments and the Jefferson R-7 and Hematite fire protection districts helped with the call, and the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District responded to the scene.