Vehicles catch fire in Miner

MINER, Mo. -- Piles of decommissioned vehicles caught fire due to equipment failure Wednesday in Scott County.

At about 3 p.m. Wednesday, officers with Sikeston Department of Public Safety's Fire Division responded to a request for mutual aid at Paul's Recycling in Miner where piles of decommissioned cars caught fire, according to Lt. Derick Wheetley with Sikeston DPS.

"The cause of the fire was due to electrical equipment failure," Wheetley said.

The stacks of decommissioned vehicles were heading to the "crusher" machine when the equipment failure occurred, Wheetley said. Officials aren't sure yet what ignited, but it was possibly some type of flammable liquid or vapor, he said. No one was injured, and the business's building was not harmed.

Crews were on scene until about 7:30 p.m. Also assisting at the scene were Scott County Rural Fire, Oran Fire and NBC Fire. The city of Morehouse covered the City of Sikeston while DPS assisted in Miner, Wheetley said.