Cause of fire that burned for two weeks at Central Virginia Pallet and Stake in Bedford, Virginia, not suspicious, investigation determines; likely cause was sparks produced by cutting of rebar, or electrical fault

Wendy Lisney

LOS ANGELES , May 26, 2014 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – The cause of a fire that burned for more than two weeks at a sawmill in Bedford, Virginia, was not suspicious, an investigation has determined, The News & Advance reported on May 25.

The exact cause of the fire which broke out on April 23 at Central Virginia Pallet and Stake Inc. has not been determined, but investigators concluded it was most likely to have been ignited by sparks produced by the cutting of rebar with a saw, or an electrical fault, the Bedford County Fire Dept. announced.

According to a press release issued by the department, there were no indications that aroused suspicion concerning the fire, which developed rapidly as a result of gusty winds and low humidity.

Firefighters extinguished the initial flames, but several hotspots continued to smolder and the fire continued for more than two weeks before burning itself out amidst area rainfall, the press release said.

Fire Chief Brad Creasy estimated the cost of the damage at about US$75,000. He described the destroyed building, which was not insured, as an open barn-like structure where employees assembled wooden pallets, The News & Advance reported.

A fire had previously broken out at the sawmill in March 2013, when another building was destroyed.

The primary source of this article is The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 25, 2014. The original article can be viewed here.

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