FREDERICKTOWN — A Fredericktown sawmill blaze brought fire departments from Knox County and Richland, Morrow and Delaware counties to quell the nearly 12-hour inferno.
A roughly one acre patch of ground covered with wood slabs caught on fire Wednesday after embers were brought over by a nearby fire due to the 15 mph winds, Fredericktown Fire Chief Scott Mast said.
The Fredericktown Community Fire Department was dispatched to the Ridge Road sawmill around 12:30 p.m. and was there until 11:30 p.m., Mast said.
The fire was less than 50 feet away from the sawmill building, Mast added, but it survived the event.
A fire truck was left at the sawmill overnight just in case the blaze re-ignited, the Fredericktown fire chief said.
“We got to the point that night where we’re confident that the sawmill was safe,” he noted.
Surrounding fire departments were brought either for further support or to bring tankers filled with water, Mansfield Fire Chief Steve Strickland said.
“It was a pretty significant fire,” he said.
Water was drafted from the Kokosing Lake and out of the village fire hydrant, Mast added.
“The main focus was to save the sawmill. We accomplished that goal.”
Those who responded, and were commended for their assistance by Mast included:
Fredericktown Community Fire District, Berlin Township Fire Department, Big Walnut Joint Fire Department, Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department, BSTG Fire Department, Centerburg Fire Department, Eastern Knox County Joint Fire Department, Homer Fire Department, Jefferson Township Fire Department, Johnsville Fire Department, Mansfield Fire Department, Monroe Township Fire Department, Mount Gilead Fire Department, Mount Vernon Fire Department, Porter-Kingston Fire District and Troy Township Fire Departments all assisted on the scene.
