Fire investigators rushed to a north St. Louis home early Thursday after crews arrived to find flames burning on both levels of a two-story house in the Greater Ville neighborhood. The vacant home, on the 1700 block of Dick Gregory Place, was in the middle of renovations tied to earlier tornado damage, and no one was inside when the fire erupted. The unusual pattern of separate fires on each floor quickly drew the attention of investigators.
According to First Alert 4, the St. Louis Fire Department posted on social media shortly after 1:05 a.m. that crews were battling heavy fire on the second floor. Once firefighters pushed inside, they found active flames on both the first and second floors. First responders initially thought the home was occupied, but they later learned it was empty and under repair following last year’s tornado.
Context: Tornado Damage and Repairs
The Greater Ville area was among the neighborhoods hammered by an EF3 tornado in May 2025, leaving many homes damaged and in need of major work. As detailed by the National Weather Service, that storm caused significant structural damage across north St. Louis, a backdrop that left a number of vacant or partially renovated properties in the months that followed. Ongoing neighborhood recovery efforts and scattered repair jobs have kept construction and cleanup crews busy ever since.
Investigation Underway
Investigators stayed on scene Thursday, combing through debris, collecting evidence and trying to piece together how the flames started. Officials told First Alert 4 that the pattern of separate fires on different floors has them suspecting the blaze may have been intentionally set. The property was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported. As of Thursday, police and city fire officials had not released any information about possible suspects or a timeline for wrapping up the investigation.
