Furnace caused Wolcott fire

WOLCOTT, Ind. (WLFI) - Employees at San Juan Pools in Wolcott are assessing the damage to the company's property, after their showroom was destroyed in a fire Sunday night.

One employee didn't want to give his name, but said the company is talking to contractors to get an estimate on how much it will cost to rebuild.

The cost will likely be pretty steep, since the company is "self-insured," he said.

Official word from the state fire marshal is that the fire started in the building's furnace system, according to Wolcott Fire Chief Kenny Burns.

Burns said he was called to the scene a few minutes before nine last night. When he arrived, flames were already coming through the roof.

Wolcott's volunteer department received help from 13 others, Burns said. Ultimately, the fire required 19 tankers, an aerial unit from Monticello and close to 300,000 gallons of water.

"We quickly depleted the town's water supply after about an hour and a half down to a limit where we didn't want to go any farther," Burns said.

According to Burns, the crews got the fire under control around midnight, but were on the scene until about 2:30 a.m. Monday putting out all the hot spots. They were called back twice Monday morning to put out a couple of other flare-ups.

Burns has been chief of the Wolcott volunteer fire department for the past 36 years. He said this weekend's fire is the worst he can remember since 1999.

"All in all it was a pretty good stop," Burns said. "Nobody got hurt. The part that could be saved was saved."

He said this is a work of passion for him, something that runs in his blood.

"I've been volunteering for 43 years, and there's a pride in helping the community," Burns said. "I think all volunteers that stick with it have that pride."

He was up all night fighting the fire and investigating its cause. Then he reported to his day job.

"I'll sleep tonight," Burns said. "As Clint Eastwood said, 'I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead.'"

Burns estimated there were between 50 and 75 firefighters on the scene Sunday night--most of those were volunteers.