Schaefer Mortuary Service was damaged by fire this morning (Dec. 8) after a cremation oven apparently malfunctioned, Saline Valley Fire Protection District Chief Bob Dunn said.
He said Saline Valley Fire got a call at about 5:02 a.m. after fire was seen coming from the roof of the business, 2061 Old Hwy. 21, in the Meramec Heights area southwest of Arnold.
Firefighters arrived at 5:08 a.m., the fire was under control by 5:49 a.m. and firefighters left the scene at 8:07 a.m., Dunn said.
“Heavy fire and smoke were coming through the roof above one of the ovens in the facility,” he said. “There was no one there at the time. They had ceased operations the evening before, but those ovens hold a tremendous amount of heat for quite some time.”
He said firefighters had to relocate nine bodies to another room in the facility.
Schaefer Mortuary Service is not a funeral home. It provides mortuary services, such as cremation, to other funeral homes, according to its website.
Dunn said he believes the mortuary will not be able to immediately reopen.
“Overall, the building is not in the worst shape,” Dunn said. “The room that has the oven in it is exposed to the elements because the fire burnt through the roof. There is heavy smoke damage in that room as well.”
The Rock Community, Antonia and Mehlville fire protection districts helped with the call, and the Rock Township Ambulance District also responded to the scene, he said.