PEARCY -- Six fire departments joined forces to fight a blaze at a Pearcy business Sunday morning, and several firefighters required medical attention in the late-summer heat.
The initial call came in at 11 a.m. Sunday concerning a structure fire in a building on the property of Dan's Whetstone Co. Inc., at 418 Hilltop Road in Pearcy.
Lt. Scott Miser of Piney Fire Department said his department and one other initially responded to the call. The firefighting effort lasted several hours and eventually included the Piney, Bonnerdale, 70 West, Lake Hamilton, Mountain Pine and Hot Springs fire departments.
Other emergency responders included the Garland County sheriff's office, Entergy Arkansas Inc. and LifeNet.
LifeNet personnel provided medical attention to several out-of-uniform firefighters who had fought the fire in the midday heat. One firefighter was transported to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs by LifeNet, but no others were taken from the scene for further medical attention.
Dan Kirschman, owner of Dan's Whetstone, said the fire departments were only able to speculate on the initial cause of the fire, but he said a light switch might have been what started it.
"I was told the best guess was electrical," Kirschman said.
The building was covered by metal siding and foam insulation, said Fire Marshal Bill Heck of Lake Hamilton Fire Department.
Shift commander Jerry Porter of Hot Springs Fire Department said the firefighters were told the building was stocked solely with whetstone and cardboard.
Metro on 09/06/2016