First the wind, then the fire
By Jamie Mercer/jamie@dctribune.com
Thursday, February 14, 2008 3:34 PM CST
Firefighters from Southaven and Horn Lake spent much of Monday and Tuesday at a warehouse fire scene in the Airways Distribution Center, located at Airways Boulevard, south of Stateline Road.
Warehouse 86, which is used by Bidtopia to store items for sale on-line, had suffered major damage a week earlier when an F2 tornado blew through the Mid-South.
"Right now we're still under a state of emergency," Southaven Mayor Greg Davis said Monday evening. "I anticipate the firefighters being here at least through (Tuesday)."
According to Davis, the 246,000 square-foot building housed "a multitude of different products," including munitions. Explosions were heard periodically as firefighters battled the blaze.
Formerly known as Bargainland, Bidtopia sells a wide range of products through what the company's website describes as "a revolutionary format designed to mimic a live auction." Approximately 50 people work at the Southaven facility, but no one was believed to be in the warehouse when it caught fire shortly before 3 p.m. Monday.
Southaven firefighters responded to the call, and were then joined by firefighters from Horn Lake. In addition to responding to the scene, Horn Lake units also manned Southaven Fire Station No. 1, which is located at 1940 Main St. (Stateline Rd.).
Davis said units from Olive Branch and Hernando were on standby mode.
At the time the fire started, workers were attempting to remove a section of the roof that was damaged during the Feb. 5 tornado. Because of the warehouse's extensive damage and instability, Davis said firefighters were unable to enter the structure to fight the blaze.
As of press time Tuesday morning, Southaven officials were unsure exactly what caused the fire. Investigators are expected to be on-site once it is determined the structure can be safely entered.
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