WILLIAMSBURG - A Thursday morning five-alarm fire ravaged a one-story warehouse-style garage at Koski Trucking Inc., summoning area fire companies, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and special units.
The Dorchester County Sheriff's office responded to the scene to assist emergency personnel and provide traffic control along Md. 307. The initial alert for the blaze went out around 10:43 a.m.
Scott Wheatley, who was working on the Dorchester County paramedic unit, was one of the first to arrive on the scene and was designated as incident commander. He said upon arrival there was "heavy fire and smoke from the front of the building and throughout the building."
He called for a second alarm, summoning additional tankers. "The crew made an aggressive interior attack and knocked the bulk of the fire down," he said.
He continued, "I called for an additional crew to help with staffing. The fire was put under control approximately noon."
However, Mr. Wheatley said that afternoon, "Now our biggest thing is that we have a big HazMat situation with all the oil and all the diesel fuel." HazMat is the acronym for hazardous materials.
"We also had multiple propane tanks," he said. He added there was one explosion. Firefighters also had to deal with burning oil and fuel.
The blaze was declared under control around noon. In a phone interview later on Thursday, Mr. Wheatley said, "Hurlock [Volunteer Fire Company] did a heck of a job."
He said there were no injuries from the fire.
The blaze gutted a five-bay garage, causing the bay doors to buckle from the intense heat.
Minutes after the fire was declared under control, the stench of burning oil still permeated the air. Charred forklifts, truck cabs, heavy metal shelves, parts and supplies sat in front of the devastated building.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office (MSFMO) said the total estimated loss from the fire was $650,000, with $150,000 damage to the structure and a loss of $500,000 in equipment.
At least 50 firefighters fought the fire.
The MSFMO said the following emergency units responded: Hurlock Volunteer Fire Company (VFC), East New Market VFC, Secretary VFC, Vienna VFC, Federalsburg VFC, Preston VFC, Easton, Seaford VFC, Eldorado-Brookview VFC, Linkwood-Salem VFC, Cambridge Rescue Fire Company, Dorchester County HazMat Team, Dorchester County EMS, and Wicomico Emergency Management.
The report also said the blaze started on the left garage bay, but the actual cause of the fire was still under investigation late Thursday afternoon.
