GALION – The cause of a major fire that destroyed a portion of Flick Packaging Co. on “Thursday night may never be known.”
Galion Fire Chief Phil Jackson said late Friday morning – just minutes after finally returning to the station – that a spark or ember in the saw shop could have caused the fire, but they are also examining surveillance video of the 340 South Columbus Street business.
“We’re looking at video footage for possible foul play, but I’m really going to doubt it,” Jackson said.
“The cause, unfortunately, because of so much damage, it may never be determined.”
Jackson said more than 50 firefighters from Galion and seven nearby departments battled the blaze, which started around 8:30 p.m. in the company’s cutting department – one of five buildings on the property – and continued into the night.
So far, he said, damages are estimated at $250,000 for the building, plus another $360,000 for its contents. Fortunately, he said, no injuries were reported, although the windshield of Galion’s ladder truck was damaged after melting from the intense heat.
Firefighters held a “fire watch” on the scene until 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jackson said, putting out hot spots. The department, he said, also was forced to bring in a front loader Friday in order to scoop up and remove charred metal and debris from the premises.
“Plywood was all stacked up in there. We had to bring in some heavy equipment to get the job done,” Jackson said. “It’s a total loss. There’s no building left.”
The fire did not spread to an adjacent office or metal warehouse structure, but the cut shop was primarily stocked with lumber, which fueled the fire, Jackson said.
Operations at the plant had shut down around 4:00 that day, he said.
Erik Flick, Flick Packaging’s co-owner and CEO, said he got a call from his cousin at 8:36 p.m. Thursday that the business was on fire. The building was already fully engulfed in flames, Flick said, when he and his wife, Emily, arrived at the scene.
Thick, black smoke from the blaze, which billowed into the night sky, could be seen for miles away.
Mutual aid was provided by Bucyrus, Crestline, Shelby, Iberia, Jefferson Township, Whetstone Township, and Springfield Township departments.
Galion firefighters were initially hampered in getting enough water pumped in and controlling the pressure, Jackson said, but with the help of other departments, that situation was managed by around 9:45 p.m.
Flick Packaging, a family company that has been in business since the 1930s, makes wooden boxes, packing materials, and heavy-duty cargo containers used in this country and overseas.
It was also devastated by an early-morning fire on July 5, 1988.
