By Joel Currier
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
Copyright 2006 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ST. LOUIS — Two St. Louis city firefighters were injured Friday evening battling a building fire set by arsonists, authorities said.
Chief Gerald Jorden said witnesses told investigators the fire was set shortly before 6 p.m. in the rear of a vacant two-story building at 5921 Thekla Avenue.
Capt. Robert “Lucky” Shy, a member of one of the department’s two rescue squads, suffered heat exhaustion and was treated at the scene and released, Jorden said. Firefighter Michael Dasher was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital for treatment of minor burns caused by smoldering ceiling debris that fell on top of him and lodged inside his fire jacket.
Part of the top floor’s ceiling collapsed after firefighters entered the building, Jorden said.
He said the investigation had been turned over to St. Louis police.