Sullivan Fire Works Residential, Commercial Structure Fires

The Sullivan Fire Protection District completed a busy week that included around 40 alarms from July 3 through July 9. 

Five were structure fires and two were within the district.

They also worked six motor vehicle accidents.

Sullivan Fire Chief Eric Lewis reported that firefighters have been stormed by a number of calls both within the district and assisting neighboring districts.

“We have been extremely busy, and so have neighboring districts,” Lewis said. 

Firefighters responded to a structure fire on East Washington on Wednesday, July 5, at 5:59 a.m. 

“This was a home that, from what we understand was on the market and being sold, when a heavy fire broke out inside the residence,” Lewis said, adding there were no occupants. “We were able to bring the fire under control, but the home was really a total loss.”

Lewis stated that the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office and Sullivan Police are investigating the cause, but no updates have been provided.

The second major structure fire in Sullivan occurred on Saturday, July 8 at Motel 6, located 209 North Service Road West. 

A storage building used by the motel caught fire and quickly spread throughout the unit.

The storage unit was not connected to the Motel 6 and stood alone in the center of the parking lot of the facility.

“There was heavy smoke coming from the storage unit, which was also a former pool house, at Motel 6, when Missouri Baptist Ambulance crews arrived. Captain Ray Enloe quickly dispatched a second alarm for the fire,” Lewis said. “Our initial crews were able to go in and knock down the fire but it was a total loss.”

St. Clair, Gerald-Rosebud, Beaufort-Leslie, Cuba, Bourbon, St. Clair and Union Fire Districts responded to assist Sullivan firefighters in bringing the blaze under control.

Lewis stated that the building was used as a storage facility for the Motel 6 and that the owner was outside of the building, allegedly burning some weeds when the fire broke out.

There was no estimate on the total loss from the Motel 6 structure and contents.