A Cassville firefighter stands atop the ladder truck, pumping water onto the roof of the old Hall Theatre building. Kyle Troutman/editor@ cassville-democrat.com

T

he old Hall Theatre is not salvageable.That was the prognosis of Chuck Miner, Cassville Fire Protection District administrator, the day after a morning fire gutted the property at the northwest corner of the Cassville square.

The call came in at about 7:30 a.m., and within about 10 minutes, the District’s ladder truck was on the scene.

“When I arrived, I was in my personal vehicle, and Cassville police had already responded to the scene,” Miner said. “Fire was visible on the north side from the center door and window. We deployed a couple handlines to help knock it down.”

By the time Miner arrived, five people inside the building had gotten out safely. The fire appeared to have started in the center of the north side of the building close to the door. There is a wall separating where the fire started and the entry to a basement that Miner said was filled with water.

Miner said he was happy with the District’s response time, especially given availability, as all Cassville’s

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