By Kasey Joyce
Maplewood, MO (KSDK) - A four alarm fire tore through a Maplewood dentist office Thursday night, destroying some treasured history in the process. The good news is that no one was inside when the fire started, but the entire building was a total loss.
"About a quarter to eight, I got a call from emergency services saying, 'I know someone called you and you didn't believe him, but your office is really on fire,'" Dr. Wayne E. Fischer said.
When Dr. Fischer arrived at his Maplewood dental office, he still couldn't believe what he saw.
"I stayed till 1 a.m. and watched my life go," Fischer said.
The fire went to four alarms as more and more firefighters were called in to help.
"Due to it being 17 degrees outside, guys were covered in water, it turned to ice," said Maplewood Fire Captain Peter Marsac. "It made it difficult to cover the fire due to weather."
Just before dawn, there was another flare up.
"Oil in the furnace tank reignited," Maplewood Fire Chief Terry Merrell said.
Firefighters had to fill the basement with foam to make sure the blaze was out for good.
By daybreak, the extent of the damage was clear, but it wasn't just dental equipment that was lost.
"It was like a mini Cooperstown in there," Fischer said. "I have been collecting for a while. I have rare memorabilia."
In fact, Dr. Fischer is such an avid collector NewsChannel 5 featured him in a story during the 2006 Cardinals World Series.
"As you can see, not a lot is worth saving, but for insurance purposes we have to go through and make sure we know what was in there," Fischer said.
Friends, neighbors, strangers and patients have all come out to support the Fischers.
"He's been a fixture since I can remember," said patient Kevin Sapp. "This is just a total loss for the neighborhood."
As for Dr. Fischer, his number one concern is for his patients. As of now, he's not sure what he will do.
"I'm almost 64, I want to keep practicing, but this is quite a shock," Fischer said.
Dr. Fischer says he and his staff plan to contact all his patients in the days to come to make sure they have his new contact info in case there is an emergency. He says he will let them know as soon as he has a definitive plan about the practice's future.
As for the memorabilia, he's not sure what will be covered by insurance.
KSDK