Fire strikes pallet business near Negley

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Fire strikes pallet business near Negley
Story by Matthew Schomer from the Lisbon Morning Journal on 2/5/2010.

Article Photos
Morning Journal/Wayne Maris
Employees inspect damage at the Melt Inc. pallet company on Darlington Road near Negley.


NEGLEY - A structure fire Thursday morning on Darlington Road left a warehouse standing but destroyed the equipment inside.

The Negley Volunteer Fire Department received the call at 9:38 a.m. Thursday to respond to Melt Inc., a pallet business in at 51621 Darlington Road, for the fire, Negley Fire Association President Bev Shell said.

"The building's still standing, but the contents were destroyed," she explained.

While the official cause of the fire is still under investigation, the department's assessment has revealed it most likely started near a wood stove or wood burner.

The warehouse, a pole building made of steel, encompasses about 1,800 square feet. There were not many pallets inside the warehouse, but there were a large number of tools.

Shell could not speculate on the monetary loss the fire caused.

One employee of the company was in the warehouse when the fire broke out, but no foul play is suspected.

That employee was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation he suffered while repeatedly running back inside the warehouse in an effort to salvage some of the tools.

Firefighters from East Palestine, New Waterford and Darlington provided mutual aid to Negley's department on the call. A total of five engines, five tanker trucks and about 30 firefighters responded to the scene.

Firefighters were at the scene for about two and a half hours and were called back around 2:30 p.m., but Shell said the building's contents were only smoldering during the department's second trip to the scene.

Jerry Kyle is the owner of the warehouse and he is leasing it to Timothy Beagle.

The business is named for the initials of the owner's children.

mschomer@mojonews.com