Lawrence County Courthouse fire ruled accidental — not arson
Multiple remediation crews, including this truck from LCS Kleen-Aire, Springfield, worked on the courthouse to repair the smoke and water damage following the April 1 fire. (Photo by Ryan Squibb)
Arson has been ruled out as the cause of a fire which broke out in the basement of the historic Lawrence County Courthouse on the Mt. Vernon town square Monday, April 1.
“We have ruled out any suspicious causes,” said Brad DeLay, Lawrence County sheriff. “Several interviews were done by detectives and we believe the actual cause to have been a fan in the ceiling of the women’s bathroom.”
The courthouse building sustained fire and water damage in its basement, as well as smoke damage in the entire building. The Mt. Vernon Fire Department put the fire out within 10 minutes of being contacted.
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Lawrence County Record
312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com
