LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire that ignited overnight in a local business on Geyer Springs Road.
The impact of the flames at 6101 Geyer Springs Road, Cleve Addie Inc., a local lawnmower repair service, is clear.
"There was heavy fire involvement already through the roof,” Captain Jason Weaver with the fire department said. “So, it was well involved."
Video provided by LRHN on Facebook showed the building with flames shooting through the roof and several feet into the air.
Captain Weaver said that the fire was already raging when units arrived at 11:30 p.m. on July 4. However, it wasn't a call to the station that alerted them of the flames.
"Units had been dispatched on a grass fire and the first driving unit determined it was small enough they could handle it on their own and released the other companies,” Captain Weaver explained. “Upon returning back to the station, one of the units saw a glow in the distance, went to investigate, and found the fire."
The business likely had flammable materials inside, helping the flames spread quickly. Crews immediately used several pump trucks to get the situation under control.
“It was a total loss,” he added. “There were a couple exposures, another metal building, and a residential structure that they were able to keep all the fire from affecting, but that structure was a loss.”
At the repair shop, employees are now working to move whatever isn't melted to a secure location.
The owner of Cleve Addie Inc. found out about the fire while on vacation, but despite the pain, he posted on their Facebook page with the sentiment reading, “Our customers are family and we will be back."
As for what's next, the Fire Marshall will work to figure out the cause of the fire.
“The initial reports were fireworks, but without a witness, it's going to be hard to determine the cause with that amount of fire involvement,” Captain Weaver said.
He urged Little Rock residents to remember city ordinances, as the fire department responded to several grass fires over the 4th of July holiday.