ST. LOUIS – The extreme temperatures kept first responders busy throughout the week.
The St. Louis Fire Department responded to several calls for building fires, with an average of more than two first-alarm fires per day.
“We’ve had 16 first-alarm fires. That doesn’t mean we’ve only had 16 fires. I’m only giving you the most serious. Actually, we had 15 first-alarm fires and one two-alarm fire,” Capt. Garon Mosby said.
Capt. Mosby said the calls during the frigid temperatures came from all over the city. Two fatal fires in one week have been difficult for everyone.
“It does take a toll because every time we get on a call, every time we arrive on a scene, our goal obviously is to leave things a lot better than how we found them and when we don’t do that to the level that we expect to, it hurts,” Mosby said. “It takes a toll.”
Along with the building fires, the St. Louis Fire Department also received high call volumes for apartments without heat and broken water pipes flooding high-rise apartments.
Fire Chief and Commissioner Dennis Jenkerson expressed his gratitude to the city’s firefighters in a letter.
“Your dedication to protecting our community, ensuring the safety of our citizens, and going above and beyond in emergency responses, despite the frigid temperatures, is nothing short of heroic,” Jenkerson said in the letter. “I am incredibly proud to lead such a remarkable team.”
