Ruins of old foundry still smoldering after devastating fire
May 22—bluefield, va. — Acrid smoke kept rising Tuesday as motorists slowed to see the ruins left by a fire which destroyed much of a former foundry the town of Bluefield, Va. was planning to use for economic development.
The blaze at 1701 Virginia Avenue was reported around 5:45 p.m. Monday. Units of the Bluefield, Va. Fire Department, the Bluefield Fire Department and the Abbs Valley-Boissevain Volunteer Fire Department responded along with Tazewell County EMS. Firefighters were soon dealing with terrific heat as the structure collapsed on itself.
Passersby tolerating the rising smoke could look into the basement and see twisted steel and other charred remains. Virginia Avenue resident Tim Moore, who lives just down the street, remembered how he became aware of the blaze.
"I was sitting there on the phone and I heard the sirens," Moore said. "I knew something was going on but I didn't think it was anything unusual because we hear sirens from time to time — people speeding and sometimes power lines down, we'll hear sirens — but it was more pronounced. And then I could smell the smoke in my living room. That's when I knew something different was going on."
Moore quickly decided to see what was happening on his street. Soon neighbors were outside watching and recording the scene.
"After a while, I looked out the window. I smelled the smoke and I looked out the window and saw the fire and said to myself, 'Wow, that's crazy,'" Moore said. "And as soon as I stepped out on the porch, the heat was just overwhelming. I mean, you could feel it. I probably live 200, 300 yards from here. I've never seen anything like it."
Moore said some of his neighbors were afraid the intense fire could spread to their nearby homes.
Bluefield, Va., Town Manager Andrew Hanson said at the scene Monday that protecting homes and other buildings was the goal and that firefighters were successful in doing that.
"I was just praying that no one was inside the building at the time," Moore said. "I don't think it was a working foundry at this point, but it was the biggest fire I've seen in long, long time, maybe never. It was huge."
The building was owned by the town of Bluefield's Industrial Development Authority.
This authority recently was awarded a $750,000 grant for blight removal, renovation and construction, "so it's back to the drawing board with a new plan," city officials said in a statement posted later.
No injuries were reported.
Town and fire officials were unavailable for additional comment Tuesday.
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
