April 2024| Vol. 34 Iss. 4
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WILL THE WAGONMASTER FIRE MAKE WAY FOR NEW AND DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT ON VINE STREET By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com
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I
t was Feb. 7 at about 6:30 p.m. when neighbors reported smoke at 5425 S. Vine Street, in an empty building just east of the Murray City Cemetery. By the time Murray Fire arrived, which was only three minutes after the initial call, flames were through the roof. The building most recently housed Dead City Haunted House, which ceased operations after the 2022 Halloween season. The prior occupant was the Wagonmaster Steakhouse. The full cause of the fire may ultimately be classified as undetermined, but investigators are looking into electrical issues, as the power was active at the time of the fire. “It also looks like there may have been accelerants in the building that played into the spread and speed of the fire,” Fire Chief Joey Mittelman said. “Though they were not necessarily intentionally used.” Indicating items such as paint or solvents may have been left behind when the prior occupant moved out. “At this point, it doesn’t look like anyone broke into the structure that night, as the doors were locked upon arrival and the building was empty,” Mittelman continued. “However, the sprinklers weren’t functioning and between the floorplan of the structure and the contents inside, the fire spread quickly.” The Wagonmaster fire, as it’s being called, was a twoalarm fire and about 55 firefighters responded. The initial Continued page 18
Firefighters fought the blaze using ladder trucks to attack the seed of the fire from above. (Courtesy Murray Fire Department)
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