The fire on Monday at factory owned by Isaiah B. Eicher near Metz, some 40 miles north of Fort Wayne, caused about $80,000 in damage, fire officials said.
``It started with sanding shavings, and it got into some dry wood,'' Eicher said. ``It was kind of cold in there this morning so we brought a space heater in.''
The factory building was destroyed, as were a nearby barn and an unoccupied house west of the barn that was used for storage.
Angola Fire Department spokesman Bud Grogg said strong winds spread the flames quickly to the other structures.
Smoke could be seen from miles around. Firefighters from eight departments in Indiana and Ohio responded to the fire.
No one was injured, but Eicher's long red beard was singed in several places.
Eicher was able to salvage bundles of hickory canes, some hardware, pallets and a few other items from the factory.
``I had a couple of chairs that were almost finished,'' he said.
Eicher said he planned to rebuild.
