St. Louis, MO – A large fire that tore through multiple vacant warehouses in downtown St. Louis on Friday remains under active investigation today, and authorities say one person who was last seen inside one of the buildings is still unaccounted for.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Regional Bomb and Arson Unit has taken the lead in the investigation due to the scale of the blaze and the possibility of a fatality. Detectives said that while the investigation is still in its early stages, they believe several warming fires were present inside the vacant structures before the major fire spread.
A search has been underway throughout the weekend for the missing individual, and officials confirmed that a full debris analysis is being conducted at the impacted warehouse sites. Investigators have not yet determined whether the missing person may have been inside the building at the time flames intensified.
Detectives are also working closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is assisting in determining the cause and origin of the fire. The extent of damage to the downtown warehouse district has not yet been released, but authorities expect the investigation to continue for several days as teams sift through debris and examine structural collapse zones.
Officials emphasized that any incident involving a fatality, or suspected fatality, automatically shifts oversight to the Bomb and Arson Unit.
Residents in the downtown area may continue to see investigative crews and restricted access points near the damaged buildings until further notice.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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