 Exhausted fireman exit the rear of Gilmer's Lignetics Plant
Story and Photos by Drew Moody
For the Hur Herald
drewmoody@verizon.net
Saw Dust caught fire early Wednesday afternoon at the Lignetics of West
Virginia, Inc. plant in Stouts Mill. No injuries were reported and the
structure suffered only minor damage, a Gilmer County Volunteer Fire
Department (GCVFD) spokesman said.
In 2001 a fire at the plant seriously injured three workers.
The fire broke out in the rear of the plant about 12:43 p.m.
Three fire departments and between 20 and 25 fireman responded.
Gilmer County had eight trucks on hand. Also responding were
Midway Volunteer Fire Department and members of the Burnsville
Volunteer Fire Department.
At least one fireman was overcome heat and treated at the scene.
The GCVGD said Lignetics has a state-of-the-art sprinkler system
and can literally "flood" any portion of the building at will.
Apparently fireman have to typically deal with "hot spots" the
sprinklers can't handle.
Fireman stayed on the scene for about five hours.
"Lignetics does a heck of a job helping us," the spokesman said.
Sheriff Mickey Metz and Deputy Larry Gerwig of the Gilmer
County Sheriff's Department offered assistance at the scene.
A Lignetics official at the scene declined to comment on the fire,
referring questions to its corporate headquarters.
Lignetics operates two plants in the United States, according to
its website - one in Idaho, the other in Gilmer County. The company
specializes in making wood fuel pellets designed to burn in pellet
stoves. The pellets are made from sawdust and wood shavings.
The company also offers other products including fire starter sticks,
fire starter gel, and larger pellets that are log-shaped to burn in
fireplaces
and woodstoves.
Gilmer County fire trucks lined up at rear of building
A fireman overcome by heat was given
oxygen at the scene by Gilmer County EMS
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