(December 5, 2007)—The fire that gutted a 300,000-square-foot school library furniture manufacturing company in Belton was under control Wednesday night, but fire officials said crews will remain on the scene as flames continue to flare up.
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At the height of the fire Wednesday, more than 60 firefighters from 11 departments battled the flames at Indeco Sales at 805 East 4th St. in Belton.
Wednesday morning, flames were shooting a hundred feet into the air and the fire produced a towering cloud of smoke that was visible for miles.
Tanker trucks hauled water to the fire scene from as far away as Fort Hood to bolster the effort to contain the flames.
Embers from the burning building ignited a number of small grass fires in the area, which residents and police officers quickly extinguished.
The fire broke out shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and spread quickly through the building.
The owner of the company says it appears a board got stuck in a dust removal system on a paint line, sparking the fire, but fire officials said an official investigation won’t begin until the last of the flames are doused and the remains of the building are stabilized.
Students from nearby Tyler Elementary and Waskow High School were moved to Sparta Elementary School as a precaution.
The company manufactures oak, maple and laminate furniture for school libraries.
The owner said he will continue to pay the 100 employees of the plant through Christmas and said he plans to rebuild, but he’s not sure exactly when or where.
A preliminary estimate set damages at $10 million.
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