LOWNDES COUNTY – Emily Snapka, manager for Possum Town Farms, knew when she was driving to work Sunday that the smoke looked bad from the road, but nothing could’ve prepared her to see the entire building in flames.
After three years of working at Possum Town Farms, the business, a medical marijuana dispensary and farm, had become a “second home” for Snapka.
“Just thinking about it just kills me,” Snapka told The Dispatch through tears on Monday. “… I have really bonded with every single customer that walks through the door. … I’ve lived here my whole life. I know almost everyone that comes in. … So it was very devastating, and it was really heartbreaking to see something that you’ve worked so hard for the last three years, to just be going up in flames.”
District 2 volunteer firefighters responded at about 1 p.m. Sunday to reports of a fire at the dispensary, Interim Fire Services Coordinator Jim Robbins told The Dispatch.
Even with the help of additional firefighters with District 1, Columbus Air Force Base and Columbus Fire and Rescue, the large building fire took about six hours to fully extinguish. Robbins said the fire caused “major damage” to most of the building.
In large commercial fires like the one at the dispensary, he said, additional assistance is necessary because the fire has a larger amount of space in which to spread.
“Anytime you have a commercial fire, it’s going to be sometimes a little bit larger,” Robbins said. “Because you have a larger, what we call fire load in a commercial structure … versus a residence.”
Robbins said he didn’t notice any smell of burning marijuana as firefighters fought the blaze.
Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and Mississippi Highway Patrol helped to direct traffic around the response area at 7432 Hwy. 45 N. while first responders dealt with the flames, Robbins said.
No one was inside the building during the fire and none of the firefighters suffered injuries while putting out the fire, Robbins said.
Snapka said the store lost about $500,000 worth of merchandise, farm equipment, marijuana plants and computers in the fire.
As of Monday, she said no decision has been made about when or if the store will reopen again, though fire left nine employees without a job.
“I hate (it),” Snapka said, adding the cause of the fire remains unclear. “It’s really hard to come to terms with. … I walked into the door and into a little place that I considered my second home more than my actual home. So it’s heartbreaking, but it’s getting easier to deal with.”
Robbins said the State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
