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Investigator Rules Cairo Fires Arson

By Dana Jay
djay@wsiltv.com

CAIRO—An arson investigator from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office assessed the scene of two fires in Cairo Monday.

Both were at empty buildings, and a spokesman for the office says both were arson.

Monday morning, shortly before dawn, crews responded to RC Auto on South 51. The owner moved operations to Cape Girardeau several years ago.

A once-stately red brick house on 14th Street is in ruins after a fire Saturday evening. Multiple departments responded around 6 p.m.

By Cairo Fire Chief John Meyer's count there have been about a dozen suspicious fires in Cairo this year-- similar to the number he's seen in the past several years.

"We've had them early morning, late at night...we've had them in the middle of the day. There's no rhyme or reason why we've been having them lately," Meyer said.

There are no answers from the fire marshal’s office or the fire chief about who is starting the fires.

From the KFVS TV Channel 12...

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Auto dealer fire in Cairo now considered suspicious

By Heartland News

CAIRO, IL (KFVS) - Firefighters were once again called out to another blaze in Cairo.

This time it was at the old R.C. Auto Sales on US 51 on the south end of town.

The fire started shortly before 5 a.m. Monday, blocking off traffic on Highway 51 for a couple of hours.

With two suspicious fires in three days, and many more in the recent past, folks in town say they're just tired of it.

"Well, of course, we've had quite a few fires," said Cairo Fire Chief John Meyer.

Meyer says he doesn't know who is responsible for a recent string of suspicious fires in Cairo.

The fire at the old R.C. Auto Sales building is the fourth suspicious fire in a little more than three weeks.

The string of blazes started October 24 when the Speakeasy and two other buildings caught fire.

Eight days later, an abandoned house caught fire on Martin Luther King Drive.

On Saturday, another house burned on 14th Street.

Then Monday morning, the old R.C. Auto Sales building burned.

The fires are all still being investigated. All are suspicious, and no one is behind bars.

"We would ask that all of the citizens in town, if they see anything suspicious in their area to please, please call the police station and let us know about it," Meyer said.

It's a desperate cry for help in a case that is seemingly bringing no answers.

Darrell Shemwell's family has owned Shemwell's BBQ in Cairo since 1946. He says sometimes he thinks his business could be next.

"Well, yeah, I worry about that some, but I'm hoping he's a customer," Shemwell said. "Maybe one of his favorite places he wouldn't want to burn. But we haven't hand any kind of bad luck like that, and knock on wood, I hope we don't."

He says the recent rash of fires summarizes the downward spiral of Cairo, a much different town than he remembers as a kid.

"We never locked our doors," Shemwell said. "Go downtown, there was plenty to do here. The town was vibrant and had three times as many people in it as it does now. It's heartbreaking for me to see the town go down like this."

Rick Casper, the owner of the old R.C. Auto Sales building says he's not sure if the building is insured, but will find out later Monday.