Flames were not apparent when Middlefield Fire Department Lt. Ben Reed arrived at 13813 Station Road in Middlefield Township at about 8:30 p.m. March 9, but there was plenty of smoke.
Flames were not apparent when Middlefield Fire Department arrived at a fire on Station Road in Middlefield Township at about 8:30 p.m. March 9, but there was plenty of smoke.
“Smoke was pushing out of the eves of the building,” Lt. Ben Reed said Saturday morning.
Because of the thick smoke and the building’s location — one side against a hill — the interior was hard to approach, Reed said.
“Once we found (the fire), it was difficult to get to,” he said.
As the firefighters worked to save the building, others began to arrive with water tankers from all over Geauga County, as well as from Ashtabula, Portage and Trumbull counties, Reed said.
A total of 25 departments contributed to the effort, he said.
“We needed a lot of water,” Reed said, adding when the wind picked up in the morning, conditions for fighting the fire worsened.
A press release from Middlefield Fire Department said crews worked for several hours to bring the fire under control. There were no injuries and no other buildings were damaged.
About one-third of the building owned by The Hardwood Lumber Co. was saved because of a firewall, but the main part of the building was charred and smoking come Friday morning, even when the danger from the blaze was extinguished, Reed said.
Firefighters stayed on scene, putting out hot spots and waiting until the state fire marshal arrived Friday, Reed said.
The fire was reported at 8:25 p.m. March 9.
“Somebody called it in. There was a haze of smoke in the area,” he said.
The damage did not extend to Mouldings One, as was previously reported.
“The area affected by the fire was primarily used as a countertop and stair treads showroom and sales offices,” said the company’s controller, Derek Gingerich, in an email. The structure also housed management offices, door inventory, the pre-finishing operation and the shipping and receiving facility.
“The fire occurred in what the public would know as the old St. Nick Brush building,” Gingerich said.
Also owned by The Harwood Lumber Co. in the same area are Mouldings One and Sheoga Hardwood Flooring and Paneling Inc., at 15320 Burton Windsor Road, Middlefield Township.
“Hardwood Lumber Company, Mouldings One and Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling remain open for business and are continuing to fulfill current and future orders,” Gingerich said. “We are eager to work through this difficult time to grow and rebuild our business to allow for the continued growth and success of our organization while allowing us the efficiency and capacity to increase our product offerings to our customers and community members.”
Gingerich added on social media: “It’s one of those things that you wish you never have to deal with. Unfortunately, Thursday evening (we) experienced a devastating fire that destroyed our showroom, offices and a portion of our production area. Luckily, no one was working or inside the building at the time of the fire. The good news is we operate across four buildings which will allow us to continue our production of our products with a minor bump in service.
“I would like to thank all of the community members who have reached out to help, brought food to those of us working and fighting the fire and would like to thank the entire Geauga County emergency services and first responders and their mutual aid companies who worked for hours fighting this fire and protecting our property. We truly appreciate it.
“Today, we look in the future of how we rebuild a bigger and better showroom, office and production area that takes Hardwood Lumber Company and its employees and products to the next level.”
The fire is under investigation by the Middlefield Fire Department, the Geauga County Fire Investigation Unit and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
