Lightning strike causes small fire at theater building

By KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

A lightning strike during Wednesday night?s storm caused a small, but difficult fire at Main Street Cinema in Mt. Pleasant.

Fire crews were dispatched to Main Street Cinema following receiving reports of smoke Thursday afternoon.

According to Mt. Pleasant Fire Chief Stew Kinney, a lightning strike on the north wall at the east end caught some wood in the attic on fire.

?The insulation contained it (the fire), but it did just stay there and smolder,? Kinney said.

Kinney said fire crews did experience some flames in the attic, but since the space was so confined, it was difficult for firefighters to reach it. That mixed with the heat and it made for a long afternoon.

?We were there for quite a while. It was so hot, we just had to work in shifts; we couldn?t stay up there very long,? he said. ?You could only put two guys up there at a time. And with that heat, it was just very stressful, you couldn?t run them for too long in there.?

Kinney said there was only minor damage, mostly water damage in the apartment below the attic.

?Structurally, I don?t think it hurt anything,? he added.

The Mt. Pleasant Fire Department was joined on scene by the New London Fire Department.

One Mt. Pleasant firefighter was transported to Henry County Health Center via ambulance due to inhaling insulation, but returned to the scene later in the afternoon.

Thursday?s merchant movie, which was scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., was cancelled. According to the cinema?s website, the theatre will be closed Friday as well. The cinema will reopen Saturday, July 18. Scott Lowe, owner of Main Street Cinema was on scene.