Firefighters respond to morning fire on Christmas Eve

Area firefighters started off their Christmas Eve by responding to a fire at One Stop Muffler & Brake Shop in Park Hills, located at 15 S. Coffman St., just after 7:30 a.m.

The Park Hills Fire Department, dispatched to the fire at 7:36 a.m., was the first fire company on the scene.

“Law enforcement actually pulled up first on the scene,” said Park Hills Firefighter Brad Weiss. “There was fire coming from the front of the building, through the two big business-style windows. When they pulled up, they had two windows that had failed and there was fire coming from the front of the building. An ambulance that was returning from a call also pulled up on it. On our arrival there was heavy smoke and fire throughout the building.”

Weiss also remarked that there appeared to perhaps be a second business located inside the muffler shop. He said it looked like either a thrift shop not “in business” or perhaps a storage facility.

“It looks like the fire stayed to the north end of the building,” he said. “It didn’t actually get into the auto shop as far as the fire is concerned, although there was smoke throughout.”

Weiss spoke to the occupant of the building, who was living in the rear of the north section of the building with the thrift store-type merchandise, but he was reportedly not inside when the fire started. There were no reported injuries.

Weiss said the Park Hills Fire Department greatly appreciated the assistance from other departments.

“We had Desloge, Big River, Farmington, Leadwood and Leadington assisting us,” said Weiss. “We also had Potosi covering our fire station during the call.”

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Weiss said it’s being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Weiss mentioned that the Park Hills Fire Department also responded to an even earlier morning fire in a residential apartment that was an “extinguished cooking fire” which had set off a fire alarm. The occupant reportedly fell asleep while something was baking in the oven. 

An area firefighter stands outside the One Stop Muffler & Brake Shop in Park Hills, located at 15 S. Coffman St., after a Christmas Eve 2016 fire is extinguished. 

On Dec. 24, 2016, the Park Hills Fire Department arrives at the One Stop Muffler & Brake Shop in Park Hills, located at 15 S. Coffman St., after being dispatched to the fire shortly after 7:30 a.m.

The north end of the One Stop Muffler & Brake Shop in Park Hills receives the bulk of the damage from a Christmas Eve 2016 fire.

Parkland area firefighters are always willing to assist each other whenever needed. The fire at One Stop Muffler & Brake Shop in Park Hills on Christmas Eve morning was extinguished with the cooperation of Park Hills, Desloge, Big River, Farmington, Leadwood and Leadington fire departments.  

On Christmas Eve in 2016, firefighters from Park Hills, Desloge, Big River, Farmington, Leadington and Leadwood respond to a fire at One Stop Muffler & Brake Shop in Park Hills.

Amy Patterson is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-518-3616 or apatterson@dailyjournalonline.com.