Fire in downtown Gulfport may have been started when someone sought shelter from cold
A fire in an old wooden building in downtown Gulfport threatened neighboring structures Thursday morning, but the Gulfport Fire Department got the blaze under control and prevented any damage to other buildings.
Gulfport Fire Chief Mike Beyerstedt said the blaze at 2208 25th Ave. (U.S. 49), one of several commercial buildings on the block, began around 8:30 a.m. Firefighters were able to respond quickly and got the blaze under control within 15 minutes, he said. Initial investigations indicated no one was inside the building as the blaze grew.
Beyerstedt said the building’s owners had said there were no tenants occupying the unit at the time of the fire. They also said there were no utilities at the site.
“I guess the other thing that is concerning there is that, were there people trying to keep warm because it got so cold last night?” Beyerstedt said. “That kind of turns our attention in that direction a little bit more.”
The most recent occupant of the building appears to be the now-closed Alston’s Antiques & Gifts.
Beyerstedt said the investigation has just gotten under way, but it appears the blaze started on the second floor in the middle of the building. The building sustained heavy damage, and firefighters were still “mopping up hotspots” just before 10 a.m.
“The closest building next door is just a foot or two away,” he said. “You can look and see that even the blind and windows didn’t even melt on the buildings next door. We’re real happy that we were able to prevent the spread.”
Nearby businesses include Sipps Bar and Michael Vincent Salon.
Gulfport Police spokesman Sgt. Jason DuCré said police blocked off north and southbound traffic on 25th Avenue from 19th to 23rd streets so that firefighters could work.
This time of year is the busiest for firefighters, Beyerstedt said, as people gather for holiday meals and lose track of what’s on the stove or in the oven. Fires are also more likely to start as people turn on their furnaces for the first time in the season.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association, Thanksgiving Day is the worst day in the country for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day.
Counties on the Coast have opened cold weather shelters as temperatures fall to near-freezing this week.
Hancock County:
- Storm Prep Building at 18335 Mississippi 603, Kiln.
- Open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17
Harrison County
The Salvation Army Gulfport Outreach, 2019 22nd St., Gulfport.
- Open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17.
Jackson County
Pascagoula Corp and Social Services, 3217 Nathan Hale Ave, Pascagoula.
Open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Will close if no one has arrived by 7 p.m.
