VOLNEY, OSWEGO CO. -- A fire that destroyed a Black Creek Lumber Company sawmill building Monday morning was started accidentally. That's the word from fire investigators.
The building is located on County Route 57 in Volney, near Kingdom Road. Several fire departments, Oswego County Sheriff's Deputies, and State Police responded to the fire. The first call to 911 came in at 8:41am.
According to 911 officials, the building burned to the ground. We're told two workers were inside using blowtorches right before the fire broke out. Several employees thought they had put it out, but it rekindled.
"If you think you can put it out with a small extinguisher, don't delay calling 911," said Oswego County Fire Coordinator Donald Forbes. "Call 911, then try to use the extinguisher, or have someone else call 911. Don't delay. Fires can double in size every 5 minutes, so even a five minute delay can be devastating."
The company lost a great deal of equipment in the fire. Fire crews say the situation was dangerous for firefighters because of the equipment inside. At one point, a 40 lb. propane tank exploded. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused the fire. The company does not have insurance.
