2 teens arrested in fire behind old Cooper plant

Two teenagers are arrested for setting an RV on fire tonight behind an abandoned factory.

Crews were called around 6:45 p.m. to the old Cooper Energy plant off Sheridan Avenue in Springfield.

A large camper was parked in back of the plant, which was engulfed when crews found it. It was not clear whether the recreational vehicle also was abandoned, or if it was stored on the property.

To reach the blaze, firefighters had to stretch hoses across a creek and travel on railroad tracks.

“This is probably one of the most extreme cases trying to just gain access to it,” said Battalion Chief Matt Smith of the Springfield Fire/Rescue Division.

While firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, flames were already reaching toward the several hundred-thousand-square-foot building

“It kind of scorched the brickwork but not bad. That was the huge concern,” Smith said. “We managed to get water on it before it got into the building.”

Springfield police said both of the teenagers, one who is 18 and the other a juvenile, face arson charges.