One business is considered a total loss after a large fire in uptown Jackson on Thursday night, June 5, 2025.
Responders were called around 8 p.m. where crews from Scott City, Fruitland and Cape Girardeau were among the departments that assisted with the response.
Officials report that three firefighters were injured putting out the devastating fire. Crews were on the scene until around 2 a.m. on Friday, putting out hotspots, overhauling the structures, and cleaning up.
The biggest devastation came to Sweetheart Florist, whose roof was compromised during the blaze.
Fellow business owner, Christie Blessing of Stitched and Stamped, describes how she saw the event occur.
“We were all open late for an after-hours-like shopping event. So when I was bringing my sign in around a little after 8, I noticed as I was walking towards the front door, it looked a little hazy outside. And I thought, well, that's weird because it was it, you know, it was humid that day, but it didn't look like that all day long. And then of course, as I got closer and opened the door, I realized that there were, you know, 20 people or so, maybe more congregated already. And you could tell people were on the phone recalling it. And so I noticed, yes, there was smoke kind of coming out of the air vents above Sweetheart Florist and within just a few minutes. The first fire truck was here, but it felt like a very helpless situation because, you know, all you could do is just stay out of the way, you know?”
The surrounding businesses also faced damage, including minor smoke and water damage to the adjunct businesses, Fringe Clothing Boutique, and Sam’s Fine Jewelry.
Business owners and community members are banding together to recover from this sudden event and piece their beloved uptown Jackson block back together again. Christie Blessing of Stitched and Stamped has put together an "Uptown Strong" T-shirt campaign to support the shops that were impacted by the fire.
