BETHEL – An electrical fire in a large, metal wood-drying shed at Bethel Furniture Stock Inc. drew firefighters and trucks from three towns Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported.
Bethel Capt. Frank Buiniskas said he expected damage to be minimal. He also said shift work was not affected by the fire at the plant on Route 2 in West Bethel.
Buiniskas arrived shortly after the 3:30 p.m. call and saw smoke coming out of the eaves.
“I went inside to see where the fire was, and when I came out, there were flames coming out of the roof,” Buiniskas said.
He sent two firefighters inside to attack the fire, and had firefighters Jim Bennett and Les Thurston don self-contained breathing gear to vent the roof.
“We put the foam to it and knocked it down pretty quick,” Buiniskas said.
Using Newry’s rented 100-foot aerial ladder truck, Bennett and Thurston climbed 60 feet to the building’s peak, then cut and ripped roofing and insulation out to reach smoldering insulation.
“They had to take the roof back 30 feet. Because it is a metal roof, they have to cut and tear it. It’s a nuisance, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Buiniskas said.
The fire was believed to have been caused by a light in the ceiling that shorted out.
“It started a fire that traveled down the eaves through the insulation. What was really nice was they had somebody here who cut the power to the building,” Buiniskas said.
Water was shuttled to the scene by Bethel, Newry and Gilead tanker trucks.
Newry Assistant Chief Bruce Pierce said the company building the department’s new aerial firetruck loaned the 1970s ladder truck. He expected delivery of the new truck by the end of November.
At 4:45 p.m., Buiniskas said firefighters would remain at the building for another hour to look for hot spots with the department’s thermal imaging camera.
“In the last three years, this is the fourth fire call here,” he said.
According to its Web site, Bethel Furniture Stock manufactures edge-glued panels and solid wood bendings of quality northern hardwoods, specializing in fully machined chair seats and chair backs.
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