DISCARDED CIGARETTES BLAMED IN STORE FIRE

Cape Girardeau Fire Department investigators said the Thursday night fire at Dushell's Furniture Store, 2103 William, was probably caused by a careless smoker.

Authorities said there was no indication the fire was of suspicious origin.

The fire started in a storage area at the rear of the one-story building. Officials said at least one box-spring and mattress was destroyed, and nine other combination box springs and mattresses were partially damaged by the fire.

The fire caused extensive smoke damage to the furniture inventory throughout the rest of the store, investigators said.

Capt. Ron Kistner said several cigarette butts were found on the floor in the immediate area of the fire.

"Apparently, the discarded cigarettes ignited some cardboard boxes, which ignited the box springs and mattresses in the store-room area," he said.

Kistner said the fire was extinguished when heat from the flames melted two overhead sprinkler heads in the storeroom area. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was nearly out, Kistner said.

Investigators said the fire probably smoldered in the cardboard for about an hour after the store closed before it flared up and burned 15-20 minutes before the sprinkler heads went off.

Assistant Fire Chief Jim Niswonger credited the sprinkler system with preventing the fire from spreading to the roof and the rest of the building. The building does not have an exterior fire alarm system.

The fire was reported at 9:42 p.m. when a passerby saw smoke through the front display window.

The blaze caused no structural damage to the building, owned by Robert Blank.

But Blank said some repainting and general cleanup will be needed, and some of the store's carpeting will need to be replaced.

"The smoke was thick as pea soup when I arrived at the building," Blank said.