VIDEOS: At least four large warehouses were on fire in downtown St. Louis early Friday morning at 2nd and Gratiot near the Mississippi River, first responders at the scene told 5 On Your Side. Over 200 firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the scene at around 3 a.m., St. Louis City Fire Department Dennis Jenkerson said. He said the fire has since been contained, but he expected more flare-ups to occur as embers continue to burn through the early morning.
The fire involved four warehouses of the seven-building Crunden-Martin Manufacturing Company complex, slated for redevelopment as part of the $1.2 billion Gateway South project. Developers told the St. Louis Business Journal that the fire was “a huge setback” and would likely require modification of plans, but that it wouldn’t halt the project. New York-based developer Good Developments Group called the Crunden-Martin buildings the “beating heart” of Gateway South in marketing brochures.
Multiple homeless people were evacuated from inside and around the warehouse after firefighters arrived, Jenkerson said. No injuries have been reported. Ameren Missouri estimated that around 80 customers in the area were without power due to the fire. “We had about four buildings that were fully involved when we showed up,” Jenkerson said. “It’s too early in the fire to even consider a cause. We had quite a few electrical outages in the area, so we’re trying to get that on as soon as possible when Ameren makes that decision.”
5 On Your Side Reporter Reagan Di Trolio was at the scene right near I-44 at 5 a.m., where a massive plume of smoke drifted over the roadway. A large portion of the over-century-old warehouse has since collapsed. “We’re going to be here awhile,” Jenkerson said. “This is probably going to be a two or three-day event.”
