CONTROL BURN
WILLOW STREET/CLARKE AVENUE
POCOMOKE CITY, MARYLAND
SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2013
Earlier in the day.......
Around 4:30 in the afternoon fire equipment began to roll in and the attending fire departments began their preparations for the control burn. There was no wind at all and fog was moving in. It wasn't long before activity began to take place in so many different directions!
Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company Chief Dicky Gladding had everything under control
Final inspection. This would be the last time the building would ever be entered. The three people I assumed to go in there was a Pocomoke City Fireman, the Mayor of Pocomoke Bruce Morrison (a fireman himself) and Worcester County Fire Marshall.
Three items were found in the building that evening. Some type of trinket, a stuffed animal- that happened to fall in front of the building when tossed AND the "special keepsake" the Mayor found!
According to time in my world it was a little after 5:00 when the fire departments began to wet the surrounding buildings.
Pocomoke City Fireman Larry Fykes with
Pocomoke City Councilman Don Malloy
It was shortly after the wet down- I'd say between 5:30 and 6:00 when the first flames popped through the roof of the structure and what was last known as Lawson's Nightclub would be a memory....
When flames broke through the roof I knew that it wouldn't be long before we would all be warm!!-Or at least I would.
More photos to follow..........
All photos by JMMB