Halloween Night Fire Damages 4 Batesville Businesses
By Blake DeJarnatt
Posted: Nov 2, 2026 / 06:50 PM CST Updated: Nov 2, 2026 / 06:51 PM CST
BATESVILLE, Ark. – Every year, hundreds of Independence County families flock to Batesville’s Main Street for trick-or-treating. It’s a bustling night in the city, but as trick-or-treaters were heading home, a fire broke out at Studio Salon.
“It’s one of our busiest times of the year; the community really turns out. Of course, all of the businesses and homes up above, we all participate in passing out candy to the community,” said Jenifer Floyd, the owner of Studio Salon. “I started getting phone calls that the business next to me was on fire, which is very concerning; we all share the joined walls. But I soon started getting phone calls that it was the salon that was on fire.”
Batesville Fire Department Chief Mark McCollum said the fire broke out at 8 pm, starting in the back of Studio Salon before spreading towards the front of the building. Melba Theatre, a neighboring business and historic building, was hosting a free Halloween movie night at the time, and all 100-plus customers had to be evacuated.
While Studio Salon suffered the most damage, they weren’t the only ones affected. Melba Theatre, Oliver’s Card House, and Wheeler’s Shoe Repair also experienced varying degrees of water and smoke damage.
Ruddell Hill, Cave City, and Southside fire departments all responded as mutual aid, and despite their efforts, Chief McCollum said the fire was so intense that they didn’t leave the scene until just after 2:30 am.
Floyd expressed the difficulty of walking through her salon after the fire.
“It caused a lot of soot and smoke damage towards the front; the building is still intact, but we’ve got significant damage. It’s surreal; it’s a loss that’s hard to put into words,” she said.