MAYSVILLE. KY. – Since there was no gas or electric in a supply warehouse that went up in flames here Sunday night, the owner has a pretty good idea what caused the fire.
"I'm afraid possibly someone did set it on fire. I don't know why, but it's a terrible, terrible situation," Jim Finch, president of Standard Supply Company, said while surveying the damage Monday.
The fire sent flames shooting high into the night sky. Firefighters said they could see the smoke and flames from their fire house. Smoking embers were found a mile away.
Finch said he considered himself lucky. For one thing, the building was nearly empty. For another, the fire could have done a lot more damage if it had spread to two adjacent warehouses.
"If sparks caught on to those buildings, they would have all gone up in flames lickety-split because there's no stopping it. They're all tar paper roofs, which means they're highly flammable," Finch said.
The fire broke out around 7:35 p.m. near the corner of Forest Avenue and Lexington Street, according to the Maysville Fire Department. Engine and ladder crews surrounded the building and extinguished most heavy flames by 9:30 p.m.
No one was injured.
The fire department is continuing to investigate to determine the exact cause. Finch says they are also looking at surveillance video.
