Deliberately set fires,
vandalism strike Edgerton
by Kim
Fickett
Landmark reporter
A series of fires and vandalism struck Edgerton Saturday
morning, according to Sharon Crowder, Edgerton-Trimble
Fire Protection District information officer.
"Whoever did this was making a clear path from Nash
Gas to the police station," said Crowder.
The first fire started in a dumpster at Nash Gas, the
second at a three-story grain elevator. The state fire
marshal has determined both fires to be arson.
Crowder stated that the Edgerton Fire Department was
paged at 3:38 a.m. that the grain elevator was afire.
"The elevator was leaning northward towards the
Masonic Lodge and we thought the lodge was gone,"
said Crowder. "It's like my husband stated, it was
like a hand of God straightening the elevator back up
and then it collapsed straight down."
The Masonic Lodge received wall and carpet damage. A
500-gallon propane tank between the elevator and lodge
sustained extensive heat damage.
"We're very lucky that didn't explode," explained
Crowder.
The rubble from the grain elevator is still smoldering
and is expected to continue for at least a few days. The
Edgerton-Trimble Fire Department was assisted by Dearborn,
Camden Point, Smithville and Gower Fire Departments.
Crowder also reported, several windows broken out at
the city maintenance and police department garage, as
well as the fire station. An out-of-service pumper also
received heavy vandalism.
The latest fires are part of an apparently unconnected
streak of three that have hit Edgerton in the past month.
On Nov. 3, the home of Junior and Sandi Lehman caught
fire due to faulty wiring, and an electrical fire on Thanksgiving
Day destroyed the home of Richie and Angela Fennell.
Anyone with any information regarding the weekend fires
and vandalism should contact the TIPS hotline at (816)
474-TIPS.
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