Small rag fire brings LFD to Batman Museum

Josh Flynn, Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
·1 min read
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Apr. 5—The Logansport Fire Department were called to the Fiberglass Freaks' Batman Museum, 525 E. Market St., just after 9 a.m. Thursday morning when smoke was discovered within the building.

Firefighters found a container of rags that had combusted and they extinguished it after removal from the building.

"There were some oily rags in a container in the basement," said Logansport Fire Chief Rick Bair. "They...spontaneously combusted. It was basically a small trash can fire that filled the place with smoke."

Bair said the Fiberglass Freaks crew were varnishing on Wednesday and the rags had sat in the container throughout the night.

There was no damage and firefighters remained on the scene, using fans to clear the smoke from the building.

Gina McDowell, the Fiberglass Freaks office manager, was heading to the building when she saw a fire engine and police cars in front of the rear entrance of the museum.

"My understanding is that it was some rags they had been using that had combusted," she said. "It was all contained to the lower floor."

Owner Mark Racop decided to start the museum in 2023 to display a collection of over 3,000 Batman pieces of memorabilia he owns. A date for the museum's official opening has not been announced yet.

"The Joker and the Riddler tried to delay the opening of the upcoming Fiberglass Freaks' Batman Museum, but the Logansport Fire Department was able to foil their plans," Racop said. "Although there was quite a bit of smoke, no one was injured and nothing was damaged."