Emporium Hardwoods Will Rebuild

EMPORIUM — Owners of a Cameron County lumber operation heavily damaged by fire last week are going to rebuild, according to county officials.

Emporium Hardwoods, located on Route 120 just south of Emporium, saw damage estimated between $7 million to $10 million in the early morning fire on Saturday.

Cameron County Commissioners stated that the business, owned by Rossi Corp., headquartered in Middletown, Connecticut, will be rebuilt, and some of the displaced workers will be brought on to help with cleanup efforts.

Representatives of the company were on the scene Saturday and spoke to a number of employees who had gathered at the site to see what they could do to help. Schedules are being worked out to allow employees who are able to come in and assist and continue to collect a paycheck. Eligible workers will qualify for unemployment while the damaged side of the facility is rebuilt.

Commissioner Phil Jones said county officials immediately contacted state representatives and the Governor’s Action Team has been made available to help with issues that may arise.

Commissioner Lori Reed said she was moved by the efforts of community members who brought food and donated items for the dozens of emergency responders called in to battle the blaze.

“I just want to say ‘kudos’ to our volunteers,” she said. “It was unbelievable to see so many community members who stepped up and brought cookies or other items to the fire hall. The behind-the-scenes people made me very proud to live in Cameron County.”

Commissioners stated that several local businesses also made donations to ensure the volunteers had enough food and drink to get through the four-hour ordeal.

Fire crews have been recalled to the scene at least twice to deal with rekindling issues. On Tuesday, a pile of wood chips was reported to be smoldering, sending firefighters back to the scene. Several hotspots are still an issue and have to be closely monitored, officials said.

The fire broke out at around 4 a.m. Saturday. Only a few employees were at the location at the time. At least one was serving as a night watchman, and others were beginning to trickle in to begin shift work later in the morning.

Firefighters from the Emporium Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene and immediately made calls to bring in other companies for assistance. In all, 12 fire companies from multiple counties were called in to fight the fire or serve on standby during the fire.

Emporium Hardwoods is one of the county’s top employers, with more than 100 workers. The operation is split into two sides, one dealing with “green,” or unseasoned, wood, and the other handling kiln-dried wood. The fire destroyed most of the green side, but thanks to the efforts of first responders, the kiln side, stacks of wood and storage areas were not damaged.

Damages to the green side were extensive, with the main building that houses operations being described by witnesses as “little more than a shell.” A number of large, costly pieces of equipment housed within were destroyed, as well, though efforts were made to remove several forklifts and movable equipment before the building was engulfed by flames

State police are investigating the matter — a press release indicates that a state fire marshal, Trooper John Whitcomb, discovered the origin point of the fire but he believes no foul play was involved.

Preliminary reports indicate the fire was an accident

 By AMANDA JONES Era Correspondent amandajonesera@yahoo.com Mar 17, 2017
http://www.bradfordera.com/news/emporium-hardwoods