Tools stolen from Cape Girardeau firefighters while on house fire call

Cape Girardeau police are investigating a theft that occurred Monday at a house fire.

Battalion chief Fred Vincel said while crews were containing a fire at a house on South Hanover Street around 3:15 p.m., someone stole a Halligan bar -- a forcible entry tool commonly used by police and firefighters -- and a flathead ax from an engine on scene.

The equipment is a "married pair," he said, and is used often to pry open a door that is stuck shut.

A person watching the firefighters put out the blaze reported the crime, Vincel said, and gave a vague description to police.

Damage to the home was minimal, and the fire was determined to be electrical.

Pertinent address:

South Hanover Street, Cape Girardeau, MO