An intense fire swept through an industrial building in Caernarvon Township late Thursday afternoon, spewing a cloud of heavy black smoke and leaving the facility a tangle of twisted metal.
Fire broke out shortly before 4 in a paint shop at Morgan Corp., which manufactures the box, or container, section of delivery trucks for Penske, Ryder and other corporate trucking fleets.
Brian McCafferty, the company's risk management director, said the cause had not been determined.
No one was injured, he said.
It was unclear whether anyone was inside the building when the fire started.
Rebecca McWilliams, who lives about a quarter-mile from the company, said she heard two explosions just before 4.
"I ran out of my house and saw a huge cloud of smoke coming from the building," she said.
The plume was visible for miles around, and to motorists on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 176 and Route 10, all of which converge near the plant.
Although McCafferty was unable to give a damage estimate, he said the building was destroyed.
Under intense heat, a section of it had collapsed and its corrugated metal exterior was badly deformed. Demolition on the building began even as smoke rose from the smouldering debris.
Firefighters bombarded the inferno from aerial ladders at either end of the one-story, football field-sized structure.
A small army of volunteer firefighters from Berks and Chester counties battled the blaze for more than an hour before bringing it under control.
Crews remained on the scene Thursday night, dousing occasional hot spots that erupted amid the debris.
Among the responders were crews from Twin Valley, Morgantown, Geigertown, East Earl Township and Blue Ball fire departments.
Copyright 2012 - Reading Eagle, Pa.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
