From staff reports

news@joplinglobe.com

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Fireworks were being blamed for a blaze late Tuesday afternoon that ultimately ignited some bales of paper and damaged the exterior wall of a recycling business in Webb City.

Webb City firefighters snuffed the flames that devoured most of the privacy fence at some townhouse apartments after the call came in about 5 p.m. as a grass-fire alarm on South Walker Avenue.

But the brush-truck crew was no match for the blaze once it spread to the east to the paper bales at Midwest Fibre Sales Corp. at 502 Noble St.

Mark Metsker, battalion chief with the Webb City department, said crews dispatched to the scene ultimately called in assistance from departments at Carterville, Oronogo and Duenweg. Firefighters were on the scene until shortly before 9 p.m.

Metsker said fire did make its way through a wall of the corrugated-metal building, but only minor damage resulted inside.

He said no injuries were reported.

The burning privacy fence did initially alarm residents of the townhouses

“When I first arrived, I saw the smoke and most of the privacy fence was taken out,” said Paige Summers, who owns six Walker Avenue townhouses that abut the industrial property on the east. “I was worried about the tenants and the buildings. I’m glad it was just a privacy fence we lost.”

A resident of the townhouses, Andrew Chojnaki, said he was relieved when he phoned 911 and was told that firefighters were already on the way. He praised the quick response of the fire department.

“My girlfriend saw it through the window before I did and told me to call 911,” he said. “I looked out and could see flames starting to come over the fence. Thankfully the wind wasn’t blowing toward us.”

Chojnaki said the second wave of firefighters came from the industrial-area side just in the nick of time.

“If they hadn’t got here when they did, I think the northwest side (of the main industrial building) would have been on fire. The time between the calling 911 and when they got here was pretty impressive.”

Globe photographer T. Rob Brown contributed to this report.