Earlier this week during an intense fire at a warehouse in south St. Louis, St. Louis Fire Deputy Chief Brian Walsh called for a fire engine to sound its horn – an audible signal telling firefighters to get out of the building and away from the fire.
“That evacuation call saved lives,” said Capt. Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department. “That evacuation was probably one of the best things happening because we had members on the roof and quite a few members in the basement.”
Mosby joined St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh to give an update on the warehouse fire, recount the ordeal and address more broadly the dangers firefighters face.
As of noon Friday, the warehouse continued to burn.
“We still have crews on the scene pouring just a tremendous amount of war,” Mosby said.
The basement – where the fire started – had only two access points. Recounting the moments before a tremendous amount of energy caused a wall to collapse on a firetruck, Mosby said that it was “one of the scariest moments of my career.”
“The fact that you’ve got crews in the basement and there’s no easy way out, it’s just a great call to back them out. Because if [Walsh] doesn’t, I’m not talking to you today,” he said. “You could call him a hero.”
Mosby also addressed ongoing EPA testing at the site and why the fire department doesn’t yet know the cause of the fire.
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.
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