Firefighters in Missouri Battle Blaze at 'Cementland'

Aug. 23, 2014
Water supply challenged St. Louis firefighters as they fought a rubbish fire in an abandoned cement plant.

Aug. 22--ST. LOUIS -- Firefighters at a rubbish fire at an abandoned cement plant in north St. Louis are having issues with water supply.

The fire is at Riverview and Chain of Rocks Drive. It started in a two-story concrete structure. Fire crews got the call at about 10:20 a.m.

Capt. Gregg Favre of the St. Louis Fire Department said about 20 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze.

Finding an active hydrant there with the right size diameter was "a real issue," he said. He said they had to run hoses blocks away from the site, and the late-morning heat with temperatures near 90 could very well take its toll on some members of the crew who have to set up the hoses.

Artist Bob Cassily, the man who created the City Museum, had plans to turn the old cement plant into a attraction called Cementland. Cassilly was found dead in a bulldozer at the plant in 2012. Authorities said it appeared the bulldozer had rolled over and Cassilly died of head injuries he suffered.

Kim Bell covers breaking news for www.STLtoday.com and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Contact her at 314-340-8115 or [email protected]

Copyright 2014 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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