Maysville Hit with Another Fire
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Updated: April 17, 2007
Eyewitnesses say they saw the flames from down the road. Firefighter were called but the heat was intense. They concentrated on protecting a nearby church and school. In a matter of minutes, the old grain mill was nothing more than tin and ashes.
"We found evidence that indicate this may have been an arson." Benton County authorities say this fire may be a dangerous escalation. Instead of empty fields, now whoever is responsible is torching buildings.
Deputy Doug Gay of the Benton County Sheriff`s Office says, "This was an old grain mill. There was a substantial amount of ammonia nitrate in the building. I don`t know if the person who set the fire knew that. But there certainly the potential for disastrous results were there."
Ammonia nitrate is known as an oxidizer, releasing tremendous amounts of oxygen when burned. In fact, ammonia nitrate was the main ingredient in the bomb that destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City.
