Story and photos by Jim Beers
CHESTER — Fire Calls went out at 3:37 a.m. Thursday October 23 to a fire at the Gilster Mary-Lee Box Plant in McBride, Mo.
The call requested Mutual Aid from several fire stations around the area in Missouri and Illinois
Chester and Ellis Grove Illinois responded immediately as did Perryville.
Upon arrival one of the buildings at the box plant was billowing smoke, but no flames were immediately noticed.
Throughout the next hour more fire departments arrived and lined the road leading up to the box plant
By 4 am there were approximately 12 or more emergency vehicles, tanker trucks and fire trucks lining the road in front of and leading up to the box plant.
According to local fire department personnel, firemen had basically been attempting to eliminate the heavy smoke from the building in efforts to get to the root cause of the fire and smoke.
At 4:45 am smoke was still heavy, but had dissipated significantly.
Fire department personnel appeared at the entrance of the box plant ready to enter the building, however had not made entry at that point.
Smoke still filled the air in the area surrounding the box plant.
