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[Slideshow: Afternoon Photos Added] Early Morning Fire on Murray Court Square

(Click on the above photo to see the slideshow. More photos on our Facebook page)

UPDATE - 7/24/14 11:30 AM -- Murray firefighters remain on the scene since they are concerned about the possibility of small rekindling flames. The fire department is continuing to investigate the start of the fire, which they believe began at Wilson's Florist. Roads surrounding the damaged buildings remain closed.

UPDATE - Afternoon -- We added photos showing progress by the firefighters and some of the aftermath to the slideshow above. Check back later this afternoon for an updated report.

UPDATE - 8:25 AM -- Murray's Playhouse in the Park board members report the fire destroyed the theatre's props and costume storage facility, including extra seats that were part of newly-purchased set from Paducah's Market House Theatre.

The fire is the third major damage to court square area buildings in the last 6 months. In February a building collapsed on the corner of 4th and Main Streets. In late March, a roof collapsednear Court Square on South 4th Street due to rainfall .

UPDATE - 7:00 AM -- The blaze started at about 2 this morning in the building housing Wilson Florist and Profiles.  Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Tinsely says the fire started at about 2 A.M. Wednesday.  Tinsely says that so far, three buildings have been affected directly, but firefighters have not yet gone inside due to concerns of a roof collapse.  Officials have closed Main Street between 4th and 6th streets, Maple between 4th and 6th, and the 5th Street side of the court square to secure the scene in preparation for the fire marshal’s investigation.

ORIGINAL POST: Firefighters are working a blaze near Murray's Court Square.  Earlier this morning, light from the flames was visible above the two- and three-story buildings.  The state Fire Marshal is on-scene.  Authorities have closed Main Street in Murray between 4th and 6th streets, Maple between 4th and 6th streets, and 5th Street near the square.  At this time, the fire seems to have damaged the Wilson Florist building next door to the Bullpen Restaurant.  We will bring more details as they become available.

Todd Hatton hails from Paducah, Kentucky, where he got into radio under the auspices of the late, great John Stewart of WKYX while a student at Paducah Community College. He also worked at WKMS in the reel-to-reel tape days of the early 1990s before running off first to San Francisco, then Orlando in search of something to do when he grew up. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Murray State University. He vigorously resists adulthood and watches his wife, Angela Hatton, save the world one plastic bottle at a time.
Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.
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