Police investigate fire at health clinic

Authorities are investigating a possible arson at the River City Health Clinic.

Cape Girardeau police responded to an alarm about 8:15 a.m. Thursday at the clinic at 224 N. Frederick St., where an officer could see and smell smoke on arrival, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

The officer called firefighters, who extinguished one or two small fires in the clinic, said Capt. Ray Warner of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

"There was actually maybe one or two little fires inside the building that were suspicious in origin," he said.

No one was hurt in the fire, which caused less damage than the building's sprinkler system, Warner said.

"The fire part of it was very small," he said.

Firefighters turned the investigation over to Cape Girardeau police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Warner said.

"We got the little bitty fires put out, and then we turned it over to them, and we left," he said.

Hickey said the fire appeared to have been set intentionally by someone who entered the building through a window.

Electronics and cash were missing, he said.

Although medications were stored in the building, none of them appear to be missing, Hickey said.

Police have no suspects in the case, he said.

Scott Martin, resident agent in charge for the ATF's Cape Girardeau office, said agents still were investigating Thursday afternoon.

The suspicious fire Thursday was the third in as many months in Cape Girardeau.

In late February, firefighters responded to a pair of fires at 408 N. Louisiana Ave. and 1704 Big Bend Road.

At the time, Hickey said the points of origin of those fires -- which were discovered just hours apart -- appeared suspicious, and authorities found signs of forced entry.

Martin and Hickey said the most recent fire did not appear to be connected to the February cases.

Hickey said anyone with information about the fire should call the Cape Girardeau Police Department at 335-6621.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

224 N. Frederick St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.