Fires Destroy Fort Chaffee Barracks

[Woodmonkey]

Fires Destroy Fort Chaffee Barracks

Arson is suspected in fires fanned by winds exceeding 50 mph that spread through the old Fort Chaffee Tuesday, engulfing about 150 vacant barracks.

Videos of the scene showed flames raging sideways rather than upward because of the wind. By late afternoon, the fire had charred about 100 acres.

By 4:00 p.m., firefighters had tentatively brought the fire under control. Firefighters used bulldozers to cut firebreaks to prevent the fire's movement to the east or south.

Elsewhere in Arkansas, the high winds felled trees and knocked out power to more than 85,000 homes and businesses.

Sandy Sanders, the former executive director of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority, said the fires had missed Building 803, where Elvis Presley submitted to a buzzcut March 25, 1958.

Some businesses that had moved onto the property, now called Chaffee Crossing since the U.S. military closed the post a decade ago, were evacuated and about 20 of those buildings burned. City Administrator Randy Reed said the barracks that burned are inside Fort Smith's city limits, but no residences were in danger.

Tonya Roberts, deputy coordinator for the Sebastian County Department of Emergency Management, said at a news conference that authorities received the first fire call at 11:24 a.m. She said that, when firefighters arrived, they spotted another fire at a location south of the original fire. Both fires began in unoccupied buildings that had no electricity.

Roberts said there is some suspicion of arson, but Sergeant Jarrard Copeland of Fort Smith Police stressed that the fires might have been ignited by a number of causes, including accidental burning.

Tom Young, chief deputy of the Sebastian County sheriff's office, said the flames spread quickly. Winds were gusting to 55 mph at midday. The state Forestry Commission said high winds prevented the state from using aerial tankers to fight 31 fires that broke out in the state Tuesday.

Young said firefighters asked for help from neighboring counties.

Roberts said that, though the fire appeared to be contained, law enforcement and fire personnel remained at the scene overnight to watch for hot spots. One injury was reported, involving a firefighter whose back was hurt.

The Source

[cec]

I hated hearing about this. When I was with the Joint Readiness Training Center I used to live in those old WWII barracks. I have fond memories of those old buildings.

[redtanker]

When I joined I lived in similar WWII style buildings at FT knox. They are all gone now, but before they were destoyed I was able to get a few photos and even took the building numbers off the first army building i slept in as well as the first mess hall I ate in.

I really hate to hear these were lost to fire