According to initial reports the fire was due to a malfunction within the shredder, that activated the fire alarm initiating a fire department response. The sprinkler system was activated and controlled within the warehouse until the fire department arrived.
However, because the company was closed for the holiday, the cause of the incident was deemed suspicious, causing a representative from the fire marshal’s office to arrive.
It’s still under investigation according to the fire marshal’s report.
Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company Deputy Chief 6 Brad Rossum was first to arrive at 10:16 p.m. He noticed smoke and water from one of the processing buildings. He then called for mutual aid companies to investigate the scene.
Using a special key they only use for emergency situations, (recorded to prevent any mishandling) they opened the door and discovered it was so smoky there was zero visibility. Officials discovered that the water was coming from the sprinkler system, which was a series of sprinkler heads.
Using a thermal imaging camera, officials discovered no fire within the smoke at the industrial shredder.
The sprinkler system did its job, preventing $60,000 of damage.
The challenge for officials was removing the smoke, carbon monoxide and other elements from a tall building. They employed high-velocity fans while wearing their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses, and it took them three hours to compete the job.
A representative from the Maryland Fire Marshal’s Office is performing an Origin and Cause investigation.
While Chestertown was committed to the incident, Millington Community Fire Company stood by at their station against the possibility of another incident in the Chestertown district.
There were no injuries reported.
