Lakeshore structure goes up in flames

Lakeshore structure goes up in flames

Marion, West Memphis FDs called in to put out fire, cause still under investigation

news@theeveningtimes.com

A big fire made for a complete loss Saturday night in the Lakeshore Estates Mobile Home Community.

West Memphis Fire Department, Engine Company 3, Unit 15 and Marion Fire Department responded to the structure fire at the main entrance to the trailer park on the west side of Interstate 55 in an incorporated part of the county surrounded by the two cities. Responders found the vacant building 70 percent involved and shortly after their arrival the entire roof collapsed.

The wood sided structure on the corner of Lakeshore Drive and Newsome Road was the scene of another complete-loss fire fifteen years ago. The original Lakeshore Country Store went up in flames on a Sunday afternoon in 2002.

Two more fires raged through the corner buildings and vehicles with back to back fire calls to the address just 11 months ago.

All three fires were considered suspicious from the outset.

Two fires in as many days burned down the Lakeshore Country Store on the main corner to the trailer park last December. Then the first fire revealed hodgepodge wiring and an intentional start. In the second, an emergency call reported a flair up. But it turned out to be an all new fire involving the building and propane bottles exploded in an RV parked along the road in the crammed campground. Those fires were investigated jointly by both ATF and the Arkansas State Fire Marshal.

The property has since changed hands. This time, in the last remaining

building on the lot,

there were no utilities turned on for a fire to be sparked by electricity and no lightening overnight was in the area on Saturday, November 11, the date of the fire, making the latest blaze a likely suspicious too.

West Memphis Fire Chief Wayne Gately would not speculate about how the fire started.

“It is not in our jurisdiction,” said Gately. “We turned our reports over to state investigators and told them there was no utility service in the building.

They will know what to go on from there.”

The building burning down this week had been surrounded by a small camper trailer ground where tenants had been cleared out over the summer. With the campground vacant the empty building had stood clearly marked no trespassing, but the front door was often open.

By John Rech