A Beardstown grocery store is a complete loss after a fire on Friday night.
According to a report from the Beardstown Fire Department, on Friday at approximately 9:20PM, a Beardstown Police Officer noticed heavy smoke in the 600 block of East 4th Street. It was determined to be coming from the La Frontera grocery store.
Beardstown Fire was dispatched, and quickly arrived on scene. Fireman made entry through a side door in the rear of the building, and were met with heavy smoke and high heat. They were quickly able to find the fire area and extinguish it.
Immediately after, entry was made through the front door as well for ventilation. Connecting buildings that house the VFW and a storage area sustained heavy smoke damage. The cause of fire is undetermined at this time.
The fire remains under investigation by the Beardstown Fire Department and members of the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office.
Fireman were on scene for approximately 3 1/2 hours. Arenzville Fire was on scene for mutual aid. Other agencies who provided response to the scene include the Beardtown Police, Beardstown Ambulance, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and Ameren-Illinois.