Video: Two Pontotoc Businesses Go Up in Flames Hours Apart

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PONTOTOC, Miss. (WCBI) – Two businesses in Pontotoc went up in flames last night and now fire department officials are saying the County will do their own investigation.

About 10:30 last night, the Pontotoc Fire Department arrived downtown to find the Main Street Grill on fire. It took fire fighters about 20 minutes to contain it. Joseph Hardwick owns the restaurant and says Chief Lance Martin confirmed how the fire started.

“It had gotten so hot that it even warped my main frame as far as my cross members go. They said that they believe that it was an electrical fire right in next to the bathroom,” says Hardwick.

Hardwick opened Main Street Grill nearly a year ago and says it could take months to re-open the restaurant.

“It’s real devastating to see everything you’ve worked for and everything you had to go up like it did,” says Hardwick.

Just hours later, Southern Frames Factory also erupted in flames. When the fire department arrived at 3:30 Tuesday morning, the building had already collapsed. Pontotoc Fire Department Chief Lance Martin says it was too dangerous for fire fighters to enter the factory. It took nearly seven hours to contain the blaze.

“The point of origin is kind of iffy right now. There was a propane cylinder prior to our arrival that appears to have blevied in there or exploded. It kind of sent shock waves through the building,” says Martin.

Martin says arson is not suspected in either fire. Though the fires are not suspicious, Martin will still ask Pontotoc County officials to investigate.