Century Old Knox City Building Burned Overnight – PHOTOS, VIDEO

According to a representative of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Carl Knoche, fire fighters and law enforcement were called to a fire on Highway 6/East Main Street in Knox City between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m., Sunday, July 5, 2015.

According to reports from Knox City residents, the second floor of the building, which is located on the southeast corner of the East Main Street and South Wade Street intersection, was fully engulfed and large flames and a lot of smoke was coming from the top of the building when fire crews arrived.

Firefighters from Knox City, LaBelle, Edina, Newark, Steffenville, Lewistow and Baring responded to the fire along with the KCSO and a fire investigator from the Missouri Fire Marshal’s Office. According to Knoche, fireworks were being used in the vicinity of the building the evening of July 4, 2015, though, the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

According to the fire investigator, the cause of the fire is under investigation. Anyone with knowledge about how the fire started is asked to call the Missouri Arson Hotline at 1-800-39-ARSON.

According to reports, the building is owned by Merlin Ramer. It is the building formerly occupied by the Huffman Wholesale business. According to former owner Bob Huffman of Knox City, he sold the building at public auction several years ago after the roof collapsed, which forced him to move his business elsewhere in Knox City.

According to a dated cornerstone on the west facing wall of the burned building, it was built 100 years ago in 1915.

The building was not occupied at the the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

 

Photos taken during the daylight and video by Echo Menges, reporter for The Edina Sentinel/nemonews.net.

Photos taken during the fire by Karen Goodwin and Lori Davis-Goodwin