Fire destroys body shop
Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2006
GRAVETTE - A fire Tuesday afternoon destroyed the Misenheimer Auto Body Shop about two miles west of Gravette on Arkansas Highway 72.
The cause of the blaze, which started about 2: 45 p. m., was probably electrical in nature, according to four workers who were inside the building when the blaze broke out in the 4, 500-square-foot sheetmetal structure.
"The lights started flickering, and the blaze broke out above the bathroom area," said Dylan Thomas, who was working in the paint room. "We tried to put it out with fire extinguishers," he added.
Black smoke from numerous containers of paint and other auto-body chemicals fed the blaze, which spread rapidly through the building.
Misenheimer, who was in Siloam Springs when the fire started, said he saw the column of black smoke from the fire shortly after he left that city. "I'm stunned," was about all he could say.
The former agri teacher in Gravette and Siloam Springs has been in the auto-body business many years. He constructed the original part of the building in 1979.
Misenheimer, for the past several years, has taught body repair classes in the personal enrichment program, sponsored by Northwest Arkansas Community College, formerly the BEEP program sponsored by the Bentonville / Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce.
He said he is not sure how many vehicles were in the building, which was totally destroyed. "I'm just thankful everyone made it out safely," he said.
Fire departments from Maysville, Sulphur Springs and Decatur assisted the Gravette Fire Department and were able to prevent the spread of the blaze to an adjacent building, which is part of the complex.
Several rows of rental storage buildings located nearby escaped damage, as did the Misenheimer home, which is just a few feet from the destroyed building.
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