Missouri’s Hannibal. The Hannibal Fire Department reports that a house fire occurred on Friday as a result of an improperly placed firework.
HFD was called to 923 Center at approximately 2:15 p.m. in response to a structural fire incident. Eight crew members from each station were on duty when they arrived, and there were also seventeen firefighters who were not on duty.
When they arrived, the four-plex building’s roof and rear window were emitting smoke and flames. Firefighters conducted a primary search and found that everyone was out of the building, despite reports that residents might still be inside.
Firefighters launched an offensive attack but encountered severe smoke and fire conditions after crews set up aerial apparatus to protect nearby structures. After a brief period of switching to a defensive attack, firefighters were able to swiftly return to an offensive strategy.
In around half an hour, the fire was contained, but significant smoke and fire damage was done to the entire building.
The Marion County Ambulance District evacuated one individual to Hannibal Regional Hospital, and the fire forced the residents of all four units to evacuate.
The Hannibal Police Department and the Missouri State Fire Marshall’s office looked into the incident. Fireworks declared the fire to be an accident.
The Hannibal Police Department, the Hannibal Board of Public Works, the Marion County Ambulance District, the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office, the American Red Cross, and the Hannibal Building Inspector all provided assistance to the Hannibal Fire Department on the scene.
