A Tuesday morning blaze that sent three Greenwood firefighters and a policeman to the hospital was no accident.
While picking through the wreckage of the fire, which gutted a vacant building at the intersection of Carrollton and Nichols avenues, investigators from the city of Greenwood and the Mississippi Fire Marshal’s Office found tell-tale signs of arson.
“It was an incendiary fire intentionally set,” said Victor Stokes, Greenwood’s fire investigator. “There were three to four areas where we picked up an accelerant with a hydrocarbon detector.”
The injuries to the four men hurt in the fire, meanwhile, did not appear life-threatening, and all are expected to recover.
The three firemen — Sgt. Scott Schrader, Capt. Sean Jones and firefighter Paten McDaniel — were working to contain the fire from outside the building along Nichols Avenue around 4 a.m. Tuesday when a wooden garage attached to the back of the building collapsed, falling forward and trapping all three underneath the rubble.
Other firefighters and two police officers on the scene rushed to free the three men. One of the policemen, Kristopher Hoskins, twisted his knee while helping to pull the firefighters from the debris.
Schrader was airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson Tuesday morning after suffering a broken neck, with fractures to the C6 and C7 vertebrae, as well as a bruised spinal cord.
Schrader underwent surgery and is currently listed in fair condition.
“He still has some pain, but the surgery went well and he is stable at this time,” Banks said.
McDaniel underwent surgery at Greenwood Leflore Hospital for a dislocated hip. He was also listed in fair condition this morning.
Jones, who suffered a broken foot, and Hoskins were both treated and released Tuesday at the Greenwood hospital.
“All the guys are in good spirits and are expected to make full recoveries,” Banks said.
Stokes said the investigation into the exact cause of the fire continues. Samples from the scene have been sent to a lab to determine what chemicals were used to fuel the fire.
It appeared the fire began in a back room of the building, adjacent to the garage, before spreading to the rest of the structure.
The building, which sits across the street from W.C. Williams Elementary School, is owned by Kenneth Lee of Cottondale, Ala., according to records in the Leflore County Tax Assessor’s Office.
“The police and myself and the State Fire Marshal’s Office will be working together to try to find out, if possible, who did it,” Stokes said. “If anybody knows anything, we ask them to come forward to the Police Department with that information.”
Banks said having several emergency responders injured in an act of arson was upsetting.
Although it can often prove difficult to win convictions in arson cases, he said, investigators will be working hard to catch those responsible.
“Three of my firefighters were hurt needlessly,” Banks said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure justice is done.”
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
