(South Boston, VA) -- Firefighters from all over Halifax County spent most of the day fighting a blaze at the former J.P.S. apparel factory in South Boston. According to South Boston Fire Chief William Murray, the first reports of fire and smoke came in around five a.m. He says the fire was confined to an empty warehouse.
It took firemen nearly eight hours to get a handle on the blaze and crews will remain on duty overnight, dousing any hot spots that might re-ignite. While the primary responders were South Boston, Cluster Springs and Halifax, volunteer firemen from virtually every department in Halifax County responded.
The building had no electricity at the time of the fire and has been vacant since the plant closed. The sprinkler system was functioning and that helped bring the fire under control. Chief Murray says investigators are working to determine a cause, but it may be as much as a week before any determination is made.
