Fast acting Osage Beach Premium Outlets security officer saved mall from total destruction
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. Jan 5 2018 — The actions of a security guard saved buildings from destruction at the Osage Beach Premium Outlets.
The security guard was conducting his normal rounds at 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2, when after circling around the back of the mall, near the Ralph Lauren store, he discovered fire coming from a back window of the mall administration and security offices.
He immediately called Emergency 911, and his supervisor.
According to Osage Beach Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Steve Stafford, firefighters responded to find smoke billowing out of the offices.
They commenced an attack on the fire and were able to quickly bring the blaze under control, containing the fire to the one office, before it could spread to multiple nearby stores in the mall.
According to Chief Stafford, work had been performed in the office earlier that entailed cutting and grinding. “We think a spark possibly ignited the fire,” Chief Stafford said. The office sustained smoke and fire damage.
One firefighter injured his head when he slipped and fell on ice while responding to the fire. He was transported to the Lake Regional Health System, and then flown by Staff For Life Helicopter to the University of Missouri Columbia Hospital and Clinics, in Columbia, Mo. “Everything checked out okay, and we look for him to be released from the hospital today,” Chief Stafford assured.
Firefighters left the scene at 1 a.m.
