This is the second fire in the building in a week.
Fire fighters on aerial platforms douse a building at 258-266 Locust St. Tuesday afternoon. The building has been vacant for more than two years after it was condemned.
SPRINGFIELD – A vacant building on Locust Street has caught fire for the second time in a week, causing a small amount of damage.
Sunday’s fire, which was reported at about 6 p.m. in 252 Locust St. was caused by arson. It was started in the cellar ceiling and firefighters were able to extinguish it quickly. Damage was limited to the ceiling and a rear bedroom, said Dennis G. Leger, Fire Department spokesman.
“It put firefighters in harm’s way. There are holes in the floor all over that building,” he said.
Tuesday a much larger fire swept through the upper floors of the four-story neighboring apartment building that runs from 258 to 266 Locust St. Leger described that fire as very suspicious and said the cause is still under investigation.
The buildings have long been a problem in the city. They were condemned in August 2010 and the city has been trying to demolish them since. They are owned by City National Bank, based in California.
Both are marked with white signs with a red slash, which indicates they are condemned and firefighters should only enter with extreme caution. They did enter this time and were able to extinguish the blaze quickly, Leger said.