Fire destroyed a Mt. Vernon business Friday night. Mt. Vernon city firemen report flames were showing through the windows when they arrived at Leah's Flowers and Gifts at 1113 Veterans Memorial Drive. Firemen were hampered by a double roof on the building. The store was closed for the day and no one was inside. Damage is estimated at $100,000. Firemen say nothing could be removed from inside the building because of the intensity of the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The extreme cold temperatures caused water from the fire fighting efforts to freeze. While several firemen fell on the ice, there were no injuries. No other buildings were threatened by the fire. The fire alarm came in at 6:18 Friday night, with firemen remaining on the scene for four and a half hours. There were reports flames from the fire could be seen from a mile away. Jefferson Rural Firemen joined Mt. Vernon City Firemen in fighting the fire. Centralia city firefighters and Waltonville firemen remained at the Mt. Vernon fire stations to handle other calls. - http://goo.gl/e1kcw
