Foul play ruled out in Liverpool fire

[yfdgricker]

Foul play ruled out in Liverpool fire
Story by JO ANN BOBBY-GILBERT in the Lisbon Morning Journal on 2/16/2010.

EAST LIVERPOOL - Although the cause of a fire Sunday at Booth Tire on Dresden Avenue has not yet been determined, fire officials do not suspect any type of foul play.

"It definitely was not foul play involved. The building was secure. The first crew on the scene had to make forcible entry," acting Chief Bill Jones said Monday after having been back at the scene earlier in the day.

He spoke with the employee who had been the last one at the business and no additional information was forthcoming to shed light on a cause, Jones said.

Although the business owner, Vicki Booth, is under court order to remove tires, those are on a separate lot and not inside the building, which is not insured, according to Jones.

He emphasized "there would be nothing to gain" by anyone deliberately setting the building on fire.

Firefighters found several stacks of burning tires on the first and second floors while they were battling the blaze that is believed to have begun near the center of the first floor.

Jones also said Monday the Environmental Protection Agency plans on sending a representative to the scene this week, due to the potential for an environmental hazard from the burning tires, but said, "They're not too concerned due to the amount of tires that really did burn."

Firefighters were called at 8:47 a.m. Sunday to the business, with three alarms sounded within minutes. They remained on the scene until 4:30 p.m.

jgilbert@mojonews.com