A building in the 5200 block of Hwy. 61-67 where a landscaping business plans to open was damaged by fire on March 14. Two people were inside the building when it caught fire, and they escaped without injury, said Stephanie Jackson, spokeswoman for the Rock Community Fire Protection District reported.
Jackson said she was the first to arrive at the scene of the fire at about 4 p.m. The first firetruck arrived at 4:07 p.m., after it had returned to Rock Fire’s House 4 following a call about a fire at an unoccupied home on Mulberry Road in Barnhart.
When crews arrived at the Imperial building, they found fire coming from the north side of it. The fire was under control at 4:23 p.m., and less than 25 percent of the building was damaged by the blaze, the report said.
It looked like a cedar fence near the building caught fire first. The cause of the fire is being investigated, Rock Fire reported.
Jackson said the landscaping company is new, and she did not know its name. She said the fire may cause the owners to delay their anticipated opening date.
The Antonia Fire Protection District and the Festus Fire Department helped with the call. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Rock Township Ambulance also responded to the scene.