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Friday, Jun. 26, 2009

Fire damages Smarr sawmill

No injuries were reported from a fire Thursday afternoon at Southern Forest Industries in Smarr.

The fire started during some welding work at the company, said Lt. Shane Cook, public information officer for Monroe County Emergency Services.

The interior of a building was damaged, as well as heavy equipment and lumber, he said.

The company employs about 25 people, Cook said owner Jeff Merrill told him. Workers were evacuated when the fire started and the plant was shut down.

The fire was extinguished by about 6 p.m.

Cook said firefighters got the call about 2:40 p.m. and about 50 firefighters worked to get the fire under control.

A neighboring wooden palett company was still operating, but it sent all nonessential workers home, Cook said.

Crews from Monroe County, Forsyth, Macon-Bibb County, the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and volunteers from Smarr, Bolingbroke and High Falls are were on the scene helping.

Cook said Monroe County sent five fire engines to the scene, including two tankers. Bibb County also dispatched a ladder truck.