There wasn’t much damage to be seen from the outside, but there may well be significant damage inside the library of The Regal Plumb, long known as Plumb Place, after a relatively small fire Saturday afternoon.
Regal Plumb owner Chris Stanley says lots of books were damaged inside the library area — as was the copper roofing material. Stanley isn’t sure how much copper will be needed to fix the damage, which is a concern with rain likely Sunday and Monday.
The fire was reported around 3:15 pm, triggering responses from Emporia, Americus and Olpe firefighters before the outlying departments were canceled while en route. Fire Chief Brandon Beck says a roof repair project was underway and some soldering apparently caught nearby insulation on fire.
The Regal Plumb was put on the National Register of Historic Places and Kansas Register of Historic Places as part of separate actions in 1984. Stanley doesn’t anticipate any extra work to make the needed repairs due to the building’s historic status.
As Emporia firefighters were starting their work at 224 East Sixth, one of their vehicles was involved in a non-injury crash further west at Sixth and Mechanic. Lyon County Detective Eric Williams says the fire department SUV, driven by Battalion Chief Eron Steinlage, was in the 100 block of West Sixth and responding to the fire when his vehicle was hit by another SUV driven by 46-year-old Melinda Norris of Emporia. Nobody was hurt.
Deputies are still investigating the wreck.
4:30 pm Saturday: Small fire at The Regal Plumb connects to non-injury crash involving Emporia Fire vehicle nearby
A small fire and related crash developed in downtown Emporia on Saturday afternoon.
Emporia, Americus and Olpe fire crews responded to The Regal Plumb, long known as Plumb Place, around 3:15 pm after a fire developed in the second-floor library. Fire Chief Brandon Beck says a roof repair project was underway and some soldering apparently caught nearby insulation on fire.
As Emporia firefighters were starting their work at 224 East Sixth, one of their vehicles was involved in a non-injury crash further west at Sixth and Mechanic. Early indications, according to Lyon County deputies, are Emporia Fire Battalion Chief Eron Steinlage was initially eastbound to the fire scene and then turned to go westbound. The battalion chief vehicle then collided with an SUV. Other details are pending.
Nobody was hurt with either part of this incident. Additional details are pending.
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Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
