FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE APARTMENT BLAZE; DOWNPOUR HITS

Firefighters had to contend with a flood as well as a fire at Cape Meadows apartments Monday night.

About 20 minutes into battling the two-alarm call, a downpour accompanied by strong winds and lightning hit. The storm sent the 100 or so onlookers scurrying for shelter.

The initial call went out at 8:27 p.m. Large flames and billowing smoke engulfed the two-story townhouse at 508 Cape Meadows Circle when emergency units arrived. By the time the blaze was under control, the unit was gutted.

The townhouse where the fire originated is connected to other units on each side. Although each sustained smoke damage, neither was directly afflicted by fire. Tom Hinkebein, battalion chief with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, said an old-fashioned -- but effective -- fire wall protected one unit while a newer fire-separation wall kept flames from the other.

"The fire basically stayed in that apartment," Hinkebein said. "It went through the ceiling and the roof, but that pretty well was it."

A resident of an adjacent unit said the fire started when the resident of the townhouse where it originated was installing stereo equipment and an electrical spark caught some curtains on fire. Firefighters could not immediately confirm that claim and were investigating the cause.

Hinkebein said the storm helped more by keeping firefighters cool than hindering their work. However, the accompanying lightning and wind prevented the use of some equipment.

Just before the storm started, firefighters prepared to use a ladder truck to get at the blaze on the roof, but fear of the ladder acting as a lightning rod canceled those plans. They instead attacked the roof from within while the rain worked from the outside.