ST. LOUIS -- The five-alarm fire at a vacant building near the riverfront burned for 18 hours and the cause still is undetermined, said Fire Capt. Dan Sutter.
Firefighters received the first call to the six-story brick structure at 11:27 a.m. Thursday. At its height, 120 firefighters battled the blaze in the building, which is part of the old Crunden Martin Manufacturing Co. complex on South Second Street near Gratiot Street. At 5:30 a.m. today it was extinguished, Sutter said.
"It was remote from the street and we had easy access and aerial access so we were able to stop it from spreading to the church and adjoining building, which was six times in size, and connected with an adjoining walkway," he said. "It really was a great effort by fire department."
Authorities now are on scene trying to determine whether the structure is sound enough for fire investigators to enter and search for the cause of the blaze.
In a bit of irony, the fire department already had an event planned to honor a firefighter who was killed in the line of duty during a blaze just from Thursday's fire, Sutter said.
Members of Capt. Thomas Targee's family will be on hand at 10 a.m. Saturday at the fire department's downtown headquarters building for a rededication ceremony of several items on display in his honor.
Targee was killed during the Great Fire of 1849 in which 430 buildings were destroyed along with more than 20 riverboats. Targee was killed near where the Arch now stands while detonating an explosive device to create a fire break and prevent further buildings from catching fire. The device exploded prematurely, killing the 41-year-old.
Family members are expected to present photos of Targee and the department will add a light salvaged from a fire boat named in Targee's honor to the display.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
