MOUNT VERNON — Downtown business owners wanting to know if they should open their doors today in the wake of Monday’s tragic fire received a briefing Tuesday morning from Mount Vernon Fire Department Assistant Chief Chris Menapace.
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“We’re here to let you know what to expect,” said Menapace in addressing the business owners gathered at the Mount Vernon-Knox County Chamber of Commerce.
South Main Street from Public Square south to Gambier Street will be closed to traffic all this week, but businesses “can open today,” according to Menapace, including Aunt Bee’s, Bead Therapy and J.D. Hudson on the west side of South Main Street. Classes at the Buchwald Center will be on hold for at least a week. The street and west sidewalk will be taped off, due to what Menapace calls a “collapse zone,” stating that bricks have fallen from the burned building since Monday afternoon. With high winds projected for today, Menapace expects flare-ups, adding that the smoke will continue throughout this week.
With the large scope of damage and businesses involved in this fire, a national response team has been called in to assist the MVFD, the state fire marshal and the Mount Vernon Police Department.
“This is just too large, and we don’t have all the necessary resources,” said Menapace referring to the scope of the cleanup and investigation. “The state fire marshal is like our big brother, and the national response team is like their big brother. They will bring in their team of engineers and assess what needs to be done and help us make a decision. Ultimately, it is our desire to tear down the building. It’s got to come down.” As far as the common wall between the Montenery building and Buchwald Center is concerned, it will be up to a group of engineers to handle that decision, according to Menapace.
Gas and electric have been restored to downtown businesses but plans are for electric to be shut off on Thursday. Menapace expects the electric to be interrupted for not more than eight to 10 hours, “but be prepared for Friday just in case,” he added. “AEP is working on a contingency plan in case the electric needs to be off more than one day. If we have to take power down again, we will provide a two-hour heads-up.” He also informed them that turning on air conditioners or furnaces would bring smoke odor indoors.
John Donnelly, art department professor at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, asked about damage inside the Buchwald Center. The extent of the damage comes from smoke and water, Menapace said. A hole was broken in a skylight to pressurize the building and allow smoke to escape. The basement was filled with water, so any items located in the basement may be damaged or destroyed. Donnelly commended the fire department for a “beautiful job” in containing the fire and keeping destruction away from the Buchwald Center.
