Sprigg Street fire contained to one apartment

Cape Girardeau firefighters battled a large fire at 2 p.m. Tuesday at 238 S. Sprigg St.

Flames spilled out of the north end of the second-floor windows and cleared the brick rooftop. A cloud of dust-colored smoke billowed out of south-facing windows across the intersection of Good Hope Street.

It took firefighters 20 minutes to gain control of the blaze, fire chief Rick Ennis said. Occupants of the building stood outside as firefighters worked.

Shaleia Payne lived in the northeast apartment where the fire appeared to have started. She was coming back to open her place when she found it was on fire, and she was led out of the building. She said she had returned after being gone for two weeks, after having been with her sister in the hospital.

Another resident who did not want to give her name said she was inside when her apartment began to fill with smoke and left as she began to choke. She said she was preparing to move out but believes many of her belongings might have smoke damage, including her television, futons and beds.

Flames show from the second story windows of a building that caught fire Tuesday at the intersection of Good Hope and South Sprigg streets.Glenn Landberg

Ennis said the fire was contained to one of the apartments, but there was smoke in that building and an abutting building to the east. Firefighters were inside, clearing blackened debris at 3 p.m., throwing some of it outside.

The fire had spread to the attic, Ennis said. An Ameren employee adjusted a nearby power line on the scene. Firefighters checked the bottom part of the building, a former tax office, making sure the fire or smoke did not spread.

Ennis said Tuesday afternoon there was no known cause of the fire.

Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City and Sikeston departments responded to the fire.

Cape Girardeau firefighters battled a large fire that broke out Tuesday at the intersection of Good Hope and South Sprigg streets.Glenn Landberg

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address: 238 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO