Fire destroys interior of building in downtown Springfield
The interior of a building in downtown Springfield has been destroyed from a fire.
Fire officials confirmed the inside of the building of 413 and 415 E. Adams St. collapsed after a fire started on the third level Wednesday afternoon. The building is home to Cat's Pyjamas Cat Cafe.
Tom Raymond, owner of the Cat’s Pyjamas, said he did not know how the fire started and that everyone from inside the business got out safely. Several cats were being held at Buzz Bomb Brewing Company across the street.
Late Wednesday, Mark Forinash, the owner of Cafe Moxo, located just to the west, had "closed indefinitely" because of the fire.
Springfield Fire Chief Ed Canny said the first call came in around 11:30 a.m. for a fire at 413 E. Adams St. By mid-afternoon, the first started impacting connecting buildings, according to Canny.
"We're trying to keep it from jumping from building to building to building," Canny said Wednesday afternoon. "This is still an active scene. The fire is still growing but we're trying to keep it in check."
No civilian injuries have been reported, but a firefighter was taken to the hospital, according to Canny.
The building is owned by Chris Nickell and Jonathan Combs, whose bookstore, Elf Shelf, was moving into the second floor.
The fire destroyed, confirmed Moving Pillsbury Forward founder and president Chris Richmond, a significant artwork and historic documents the group harvested from the former Pillsbury Mills.
The exhibited, "Pillsburied," had been stored in the building, Richmond said.
It's unclear how the fire started and the cause is still under investigation.
Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase spoke to business owners and said two residents could smell smoke before one of the tenants called 911.
"Our whole block is impacted by this right now," Purchase said.
Several roads nearby have been blocked off due to the fire.
This is a developing story, stay with the SJ-R for updates.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for the State Journal-Register. She can be reached at [email protected]; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Fire destroys interior of building in downtown Springfield
