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Fire rips through Lecompton cabinet store
Numerous fire crews worked Monday night to keep a fire at Wood N Stuff Cabinets in Lecompton from spreading to nearby buildings.
Crews continue watching Lecompton store
Fire crews continue to watch the smoking remains of a Lecompton business Tuesday. The cabinet store caught fire Monday evening. Enlarge video
515 E. Woodson Ave.
Firefighters spent Tuesday monitoring the charred remains of the Wood-N-Stuff shop as hot spots continued to flare up.
The Lecompton fire chief expects crews to remain on the scene into this morning after the fire caused the roof to collapse Monday evening at the shop, 515 Woodson Ave. Crews initially got the majority of the fire under control around 11:30 p.m. Monday.
“The heavy fire load in there is still burning, and it keeps flaring up,” said H. Wayne Riley, chief of Lecompton Fire/EMS. “We keep putting water on it, but it’s a hot fire. You’ve got a lot of wood that’s stacked up in there, and it’s just going to burn.”
The hot spots made it tough for investigators to begin their work to determine a cause and put a price tag on the damage. Fire officials expected to have better information sometime today.
“It’s pretty well gutted inside. It’s pretty well totaled,” Riley said.
According to county records, the building owned by David K. Powell is appraised at $155,000.
Dozens of firefighters from several communities arrived minutes after the blaze started around 6:30 p.m. Monday. They sprayed water from every side of the building to douse the flames. Workers at the cabinet-making company typically use combustible items, such as stains and lacquers.
Despite damage to the business, Lecompton residents were thankful no one was injured and that nearby buildings were saved.
The post office next door seemed to only have one warped rain gutter. The garage of a nearby house suffered some siding damage.
Members of Lecompton United Methodist Church directly west of the business also breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday.
Church members Monday evening safely evacuated about 100 Vacation Bible School children from the building. But fire officials OK’d the church for Bible school Tuesday.
The older part of the building, including the sanctuary, originally opened as the Windsor Hotel in the 1800s before it became the church.
“We were real lucky,” said Gregg Sledd, lay leader and chairman of the church’s administrative board. “We got a couple of cracked windows but no windows broken out. We lost some vinyl siding off the back side of the church. Other than that, it’s mostly cosmetic.”
Comments
onrywmn 2 years, 10 months ago
Today's news Firefighters still working to estinguish fire that razed Lecompton cabinet company. Shouldn't that be "extinguish fire"?
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
I'm not seeing the error anywhere, so it looks like someone jumped in and fixed it. Thanks for catching it, though!
Whitney Mathews Online Editor
George_Braziller 2 years, 10 months ago
Might want to fix this one as well: "Church members are waiting on an insurance adjuster to assess damage, but Bohannan said the congregation was relieved its older sanctuary is fine, including an old grant piano."
Never heard of a "grant" piano.
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
Yikes. Fixed that one myself. Thank you!
LA_Ex 2 years, 10 months ago
Huked on Fonics Workt fer Me
riverdrifter 2 years, 10 months ago
I allus wanted one a them grant pianos.
matthewjherbert 2 years, 10 months ago
you could use those cabinets to make whiskey now. "Charcoal aged barrels" get a pretty penny these days.
hipper_than_hip 2 years, 10 months ago
To quote Andrew Jackson: "It is a damn poor mind indeed which can't think of at least two ways to spell any word."
ashleyshoemaker 2 years, 10 months ago
We were driving back from the dog park yesterday, you could see the smoke from stull road. Thankfully nobody was hurt!
BruceWayne 2 years, 10 months ago
thank you for removing that comment. I hope Mr.Powell's attorney saved it before it was gone. If he didn't, I did.
none2 2 years, 10 months ago
Considering the rude posts on yesterday's story, I cannot imagine what could have possibly been written in today's update to get their post banned.
What is really enlightening about the rude posts yesterday is that they came from extreme left wing commenters that Lawrence has. Besides the sadness of anybody loosing their home or business add to that the loss when a community has few businesses to begin with. Lecompton has maybe two business in what little down town there is -- that cabinet business and an antique store. Now one of them is gone. Likewise, Lecompton's Methodist Church is in a historic buildling.
Imagine if half of downtown Lawrence burnt down and people were commenting that they were glad that one was injured, but that it was no big deal if the businesses were gone because they were nothing to be proud of. You know these same rude commenters would be screaming bloody murder of anybody bad mouthing the beloved historic downtown. Remember their attitudes about Lecompton the next time you shop downtown Lawrence.
BruceWayne 2 years, 10 months ago
edjayhawk claimed the owner had set the fire in an effort to collect insurance. anyone know if the owner can file a suit against said poster and LJW?
vertigo 2 years, 10 months ago
For what?
What damages were incurred to the plaintiff (if he sued) by the comment being made?
It's akin to saying that Obama's only goal is to ruin the U.S. - which is said on a daily basis here. I don't see the Obama legal team throwing out lawsuits over the crap that gets said about them on an online forum.
So to answer your question. No.
BruceWayne 2 years, 10 months ago
well thank you...I was just curious.
imastinker 2 years, 10 months ago
Isn't that slander?
bad_dog 2 years, 10 months ago
Slander is a spoken defamation. Libel is defined as a method of defamation expressed by print, writing, pictures, or signs-any publication that is injurious to the reputation of another. "A maliciously written or printed publication which tends to blacken a person's reputation or to expose him to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or to injure him in his business or profession." Corabi v. Curtis Pub. Co. 441 Pa. 432
Bruce, keep in mind that the truth is an absolute defense to an allegation of libel or slander, however, if the complained-of statement isn't truthful it certainly seems like there is a basis for a lawsuit arising from the tort of libel-at least against the comment poster. I suspect an untruthful allegation of arson could "blacken" the reputation of Wood-N-Stuff's owner, expose them to public hatred, contempt, etc. or injure their business or profession.
If the LJW knows a poster has a history of posting untruths in general or about a specific individual and did nothing to remove the posts, then liability might lie against them as well. In the absence of such a trail, however, I doubt a person libeled by a post would have much recourse against the LJW.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years, 10 months ago
Undoubtedly, you're referring to my comments, none2, and I did nothing of the sort.
Not sure what your problem is, but your pouting doesn't become you.
none2 2 years, 10 months ago
I'm not pouting, just exposing your true colors.
woodscolt 2 years, 10 months ago
none2, you have taken the misfortune of this business and turned it into your soap box to bash other posters politically , insult Lawrence for it's historical downtown district and you have even bashed people for voicing their heart felt feelings about no one being hurt. You spent your credibility. You come across as very disingenuous to the damage the fire has caused.
none2 2 years, 10 months ago
There is nothing heartfelt about saying you are glad that no one was injured, and then turning around and insulting the products/services of the business that was destroyed. If someone doesn't like a business, then one should at least kept silent when the business hits bad luck such as this.
If you cannot understand that those comments are insulting and if you cannot see that such a fire for a town of around 700 isn't a VERY major loss, then you are the one that really doesn't give a darn about the loss.
As to "historic" is that something reserved for downtown Lawrence? The Lecompton Methodist Church next door which is the former Windsor Hotel. They did receive some external damage. I'm guessing at a minimum they have white siding that will have to be replaced on their southeast side.
Luckily, the post office looks fine. There is some smell, but I think that is just because it is so strong outside. If it had been destroyed, then it would have been a 5 mile trip to the nearest one in Perry.
If you still don't believe that this fire had a significant affect on the Lecompton community than get off your a$$ and drive over there and see for yourself. Then maybe you wouldn't be so high and mighty about defending insults to a destroyed business from the comfort of your computer. Talk about credibility, where was yours in the first place?
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years, 10 months ago
"and then turning around and insulting the products/services of the business"
There was no insult. Merely accurate description.
But you see it as good opportunity to score some bloggerific points, and that's what you're attempting to do, presumably because we've disagreed on other topics.
none2 2 years, 10 months ago
Oh bozo, you can be so funny at times. Bloggerific points? Is that something that I can turn into cash or discounts, like points at Dillons? If so, sign me up. Otherwise, it is a rather silly conclusion.
What is so intriguing is just how out of touch you are with your comments being inappropriate. Even if you personally deal with their cabinetry every time you go into your own kitchen, do you really think a fire story is the time and place to give your "accurate description"? I don't drink alcohol and I consider coffee a disgusting thing to even smell. Yet if a bar or coffee house were to burn down and make the news, I wouldn't find it appropriate to make such comments about the business. (Ok, well maybe I could insult a business that burned that was into animal fighting or kitty porn. Those are exceptions -- not the rule.)
Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to say I'm shocked and that you have sunk to a new low. Most of the time your opinions just seem misguided -- not cruel. The worse I can recall on cruel posts is about two years ago when an old man died in his collision with the T. You stated that you were sad he died, but grateful he was on a moped instead of an SUV. Considering your political opinion on SUV's, and that he might have had a fighting chance to survive had he been in an SUV; that was a pretty mean spirited comment to make..
So while your posts on Wood-n-Stuff are inappropriate, you can at least pat yourself on the back that perhaps you are not quite as cruel as you used to be.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years, 10 months ago
" Bloggerific points? Is that something that I can turn into cash or discounts, like points at Dillons?"
No, that's what you do while pretending to defend the poor downtrodden citizens of Lecompton. They don't give a damn what I've typed on this forum, but if being a self-appointed forum scold makes you feel better, knock yourself out. Same to Jane.
none2 2 years, 9 months ago
Pretend? It is only pretend in your mind because that is the way you operate.
Has it ever dawned on you that maybe Lecompton residents do care, but they don't comment because they don't expect anything better from you?
Speaking of self-appointed, who appointed you the the cabinet business critic? Last time I looked, Consumer Reports' website wasn't LJWorld.com.
woodscolt 2 years, 10 months ago
I stand by my post and you did nothing to explain yourself, in fact, you just continued your rant. You made disparaging comments about "historic downtown Lawrence" and now your turning your comment into some kind of statement against the historical value of Lecompton. Hard one to follow. There is an angry story in your posts that doesn't speak to the fire or the damages. This business engages in practices and uses highly volatile chemicals which lends it to a high risk of fire. The cause of the fire will be determined and it likely will fall somewhere between "bad luck" as you say, and risky practices of the business. Maybe some people understand this better than you. While tragic, I still maintain that the real story here is no one was hurt.
Jane 2 years, 10 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
none2 2 years, 10 months ago
Have you ever lived in a small town? You can be sure that I'm sure every single person is glad that no one was hurt including ONE HUNDRED children that were in the Methodist church. This could have been a mega disaster had those children not gotten to safety in a timely fashion. Thankfully, it didn't turn out to have any loss of life.
As to explaining my posts, I did. You just choose not to understand. First, what is with "the real story"? Are you stating that a fire disaster story can only have one ramification? Either no one is hurt or someone is? That is it; end of story? Is the additional loss of one a small town's few business a "fake story"? Is the damage to a historic building a "fake story"?
When someone has a heartfelt concern for others, they state so period. There were plenty of posters who did just that. They include comments from parents thankful that their kids were fine. Complements to the fire crews and others that helped out were also in those among those posts. I never had any quams with those comments, and never said anything against them.
Others weren't satisfied with that. They went on to insult the business. I called those particular people on their inappropriate snide remarks. No I'm not in the cabinet business nor connected to the owners -- that isn't the point. The point is that an article on a business when it is on fire is not the time to point out that you feel that their product is inferior or that their customers are primary undesirable developers negatively impacting Lawrence. What do such comments have to do with the fire, the injuries that didn't happen, or even whether the business was a fire risk? Is it said to cheer up the business owner who is watching his business go up in flames? Please, explain the connection. I'd really like to know.
Did you bother to read that the business had existed for thirty years? Sounds to me that for a business to last that long, they had to have some idea of what they are doing. Maybe they know their business better than you think they do. Maybe the fire will turn out to be "their fault". Nevertheless,that is for the experts to decide -- not me nor you.
Lecompton is not a very big town, so they don't have a lot of businesses to loose and what historic buildings they still have standing are of great pride to them. Some of the same people who made crude remarks about this business are the same people who so strongly support historic downtown Lawrence. Thus to get through their heads how rude their comments were, I made the analogy between the downtowns.
You can read in between the lines that I'm angry or have some political agenda until your blue in the face. That is your choice. If you can accept rudeness against someone when they are down and out, then stand by your position all you want. I'd feel more pity for you than I would anger if that kind of rudness is ok by you.
Jane 2 years, 10 months ago
Yes! And when I commented that bozo's posts were more obnoxious and rude than it's usual posts, I had MY post removed. Bozo is a BFB. It can dish it out but cannot take it.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years, 10 months ago
WTF are you talking about? If your posts were removed, that's between you and the JW staff. I had nothing to do with it.
Jane 2 years, 10 months ago
I didn't say you had anything to do with it, just pointing out what so many others have pointed out in the past...that some people can be rude and obnoxious without repercussions.
woodscolt 2 years, 10 months ago
I read that post just as it was pulled.
Jane says " Yes! And when I commented that bozo's posts were more obnoxious and rude than it's usual posts, I had MY post removed. "
Left out quite a bit here didn't you. Probably wouldn't have removed it if this is all you said. Maybe the dog part or the med part or the bus part or the..........
Jane 2 years, 10 months ago
It's against the policy to ask questions? Questions that are offered here many times over? Questions about someone's dog being run over, not getting a seat on the bus, and possibly being off their meds? Again, questions that are offered here many times.
Jimbecile 2 years, 10 months ago
It's for the best. That place was super Haunted.
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