NM - Fire Rips Through SBS Wood Shavings

A massive blaze at a Glencoe business that turns small diameter trees into wood shaving products destroyed about one-third of the structure late Saturday and much of the essential machinery

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Fire Rips Through SBS Wood Shavings

Dianne Stallings
Posted: 05/12/2009

Damage to Glencoe company estimated at $2 million

A massive blaze at a Glencoe business that turns small diameter trees into wood shaving products destroyed about one-third of the structure late Saturday and much of the essential machinery.

Travis Atwell, Glencoe Volunteer Fire Chief and Lincoln County Emergency Services Coordinator, estimated the damage to SBS Wood Shavings could hit $2 million.

"A third of the structure has to be replaced and the rest is equipment," he said Tuesday. "The steel beams twisted, it was such a hot fire."

The Glencoe department was dispatched at 10:25 p.m. to the county-owned building and former rural events center on U.S. 70. The large structure is leased by SBS Wood Shavings for the wood shaving business and a biomass energy program.

Atwell said Tuesday that once the fire was confirmed, units from the Hon-do Volunteer Fire Department also responded, and he called for water assistance from the Ruidoso Downs Fire Department and the Bonito Volunteer Fire Department.

"When we arrived, the west end of the building was engulfed in fire," he said. "Within minutes, it broke into the interior structure. The temperature was over 2,000 degrees. It was pretty rough conditions. We did four trench cuts in the roof trying to vent it.

"One good thing was one of our men used a forklift inside to move the pallets with the wood shavings outside away from the building."

Crews needed about three hours to contain the fire and
trucks still were on scene Tuesday knocking down hot spots hiding in the sawdust. Atwell said 16,000 gallons of water were used to fight the blaze, which is about the amount required for a house fire.

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire began inside a trailer where the wood shavings are stored before being packaged. All it would take would be an ember, Atwell said.

No one was injured and the fire didn't spread to any other structures, he said.

"It took time to get the heat out of the building, but everything went well for what it was," Atwell said.

Business owners Glen and Sherry Barrow, who led the way in New Mexico with their innovative forest restoration and local wood manufacturing business, are in the process of assessing the fire damage. The company is working closely with authorities and insurance officials to determine the extent of damage from the blaze, Sherry Barrow said.

"A detailed assessment will ensure not only the efficient repair of machinery and facilities, but also resumption of full service to our many loyal customers as quickly as possible," she said. "We are particularly mindful of our responsibilities not only to the forest health and ecosystem function of Lincoln County, but also to the local collaborative group of forest-based businesses, practitioners, secondary businesses and our own staff and customers. Our goal is to resume our place in that system as soon as possible."

Barrow said the cooperation and support they've received have been great. "Glen and I are operating on virtually no sleep," she said. "We were putting out hot spots this morning, but lots of people are helping. I assure everyone, we're not stopping and will get up as quickly as we can."

Despite what she term-ed a "temporary setback," Barrow said, "We are confident that in 2009 we will emerge even stronger using this recent adversity as a catalyst for a more productive future. We at SBS owe a debt of gratitude to the Glencoe, Hondo, Ruidoso Downs and Bonito Fire Departments, as well as to the many concerned volunteers who worked side-by-side with us through the night and day to save the business.

"We send special thanks to the Lincoln County commissioners, County Mana-ger Tom Stewart, Stout Mechanical, Joel Bonnell, Bonnell Sand & Gravel, Lynette Baldwin, Travis Atwell and the members of the Glencoe Fire Depart-ment who have stood vigil with us since the fire, as well as to the many friends and neighbors who continue to support us in the face of these challenges."

Additional Information

Web Site: http://www.ruidosonews.com/ci_12354795

Category: Forestry>Mill News

Region: New Mexico

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