Hope Police rule warehouse fire as Arson
By: Jade Cunningham
Updated: March 6, 2013
Around 6:30pm Tuesday night, fire crews in Hope, Arkansas were called to a downtown structure fire.
Upon arrival, the vacant building, which had been used as a puzzle factory, was completely engulfed in flames.
And now Hope Police say they're ruling it as arson.
"Kind of glad the wind was in our favor," said Raymond Post who works next door at SWS Engraving.
"My first concern was that if I had a job to go to."
And after speaking to a co-worker, Post became concerned.
"He told me that the puzzle place is on fire, and that he was watching it," Post said. "You know, we have a lot of chemicals there (at SWS Engraving), and it could have been bad if the fire jumped."
Even Hope Fire Chief, Dale Glanton, knows how bad the situation could've been bad.
"It's an older structure that has a flat roof on it which consists of tar and gravel and stuff," said Glanton. "And once those catch on fire, you know it's really hard to contain it. A lot of times you're lucky to keep it to a block."
Fire crews have found where the blaze began.
"It looks like the fire started basically in the center of the building and progressed up to the ceiling and the roof area and from then spread on."
However, now they're asking themselves who started it?
"We do know since it didn't have electricity or gas to the building that it was set."
And Post has a message for whoever is involved.
"They need to stop because you're going to hurt somebody or yourself. This is our community and it makes us look bad."
Firefighters and volunteers were fighting the fire for more than eight hours.
A full investigation is underway by the Hope Police Department.
Upon arrival, the vacant building, which had been used as a puzzle factory, was completely engulfed in flames.
And now Hope Police say they're ruling it as arson.
"Kind of glad the wind was in our favor," said Raymond Post who works next door at SWS Engraving.
"My first concern was that if I had a job to go to."
And after speaking to a co-worker, Post became concerned.
"He told me that the puzzle place is on fire, and that he was watching it," Post said. "You know, we have a lot of chemicals there (at SWS Engraving), and it could have been bad if the fire jumped."
Even Hope Fire Chief, Dale Glanton, knows how bad the situation could've been bad.
"It's an older structure that has a flat roof on it which consists of tar and gravel and stuff," said Glanton. "And once those catch on fire, you know it's really hard to contain it. A lot of times you're lucky to keep it to a block."
Fire crews have found where the blaze began.
"It looks like the fire started basically in the center of the building and progressed up to the ceiling and the roof area and from then spread on."
However, now they're asking themselves who started it?
"We do know since it didn't have electricity or gas to the building that it was set."
And Post has a message for whoever is involved.
"They need to stop because you're going to hurt somebody or yourself. This is our community and it makes us look bad."
Firefighters and volunteers were fighting the fire for more than eight hours.
A full investigation is underway by the Hope Police Department.
