A fire damaged a building at 10810 Business 21 in Hillsboro, which was being renovated so the Furplus City pet supply store could relocate there. The store was expected to move from its current location at 10661 Business 21 to the new location this month, but the fire damage will delay the move, said a spokeswoman for the store.
Hillsboro Fire Chief Brian Gaudet said the damage to the building was moderate, but repairs are needed before it can be occupied.
“It was damaged on the inside,” he said. “They’ll have to replace some roof trusses.”
Gaudet said the fire started early Feb. 28, and no one was in the building at the time.
The fire was not suspicious and was caused by an electrical problem, he said.
Gaudet said Hillsboro Police Officer Shelby Cornett was on patrol at about 2:05 a.m., and after smelling smoke in the area, investigated further and noticed smoke coming from the building and reported the fire.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the building’s eaves.
Gaudet said the building is next to a small retail complex and firefighters worked to keep the fire from spreading to those businesses.
“It did not spread to the strip mall,” he said.
Firefighters were on the scene until 4:11 a.m., Gaudet said.
He commended Cornett for finding and reporting the blaze.
“Hillsboro Police Officer Cornett’s proactive policing strategy, along with a paid fire department, resulted in a very quick response and saved not only the business that caught fire, but other small businesses in Hillsboro that the fire could have spread to,” Gaudet said. “Our sincere thanks goes out to Officer Cornett and the Hillsboro Police Department for an outstanding job.”
The De Soto Fire Department and the Mapaville, De Soto Rural, Dunklin and Goldman fire protection districts helped with the call. Valle Ambulance also responded to the scene.
The Furplus City spokeswoman, who declined to be named, said the owners hope to move to the new location by summer, after repairs are finished. In the meantime, the business will continue to operate from its current location.