A burglary occurred at the Pike County Fire and Rescue building on Orion Street in Troy early Tuesday morning.

Sgt. Benny Scarbrough, public information officer for the Troy Police Department, said officers responded to a burglary call around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pike County Fire and Rescue building in the 500 block of Orion Street.

“The building had been broken into and a witness advised that he had seen a person inside the building,” Scarbrough said.

“However, we are not assuming that there was only one perpetrator. Items were taken and we are asking anyone with any information that could lead us to the person or persons involved to call the Troy Police Department.”

John Register, Pike County Fire and Rescue chief, made a routine check of the unit’s building around 8 a.m. Tuesday and stumbled onto something he never expected.

“The doors to the building were standing wide open and I saw a man standing inside,” Register said. “When I went in he ran out the other end of the building. And, like a crazy person, I ran after him.”

The man Register described as middle-aged got away but left a trail of destruction behind.

“The air conditioner and television were on and that would have made me think he was just sitting up in there watching television,” Register said.

“But the place had been ramshackled. Property had been destroyed and items had been taken. It was a real mess.

“I don’t know why anybody would do anything like that. We don’t really have anything of great value in the building. We’re a volunteer organization and what we do is help people. It’s just ridiculous that anybody would do something like that.”

Register said he usually goes by the Pike County Fire and Rescue building once or twice a day just to keep an eye on things.

“But I don’t get out and go in every day,” he said. “So, it’s possible that somebody could have been staying in there. My wife had noticed that the electric bill has been more lately. But, then, if they were staying there, why would they destroy the place and take things? I just can’t figure it out.”

Scarbrough said the incident is being treated as a burglary because items were taken from the building.