FFs from 24 FDs Battle OH Railway Building Fire for Hours

BREWSTER, OH—Twenty-three fire departments were on hand to help with a commercial building fire Thursday evening at Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Co.

Village Fire Chief Chris Colucy said heavy smoke was billowing from the roof of the railway's locomotive facility and rail-car repair shop as firefighters first arrived around 7:30 p.m.

Access to the rooftop was difficult, Colucy said, as ladders from nearby departments offering mutual aid reached 75 to 100 feet.

"Getting to the roof to extinguish hot spots was probably the toughest part of the thing," the chief said.

The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Co. is located at 100 First St. SE. Its service area includes 840 miles of railroad track in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

There were no injuries to firefighters or railway company employees, who reported the blaze at 7:23 p.m. Thursday, Colucy said. The last Brewster fire squad left the scene around 1:30 a.m.

According to Colucy, the fire appeared to spark when railway workers were cutting into the top of a rail car inside the facility.

Overall, damage to the nearly 100-year-old, mostly brick and steel building should range between $2 million and $3 million, the chief said, adding that "at least 20% of the roof and ceiling is gone."

Phone messages left with the railroad company Friday were not immediately returned.

Joining forces

Approximately two-dozen local fire agencies helped the part-time Brewster department well into Thursday night, Colucy said.

Among the responding agencies were Erie Valley Fire & Rescue, North Lawrence Fire Department, East Wayne Fire Department, and those from Canal Fulton, Massillon, East Sparta, Wilmot, Applecreek, Kidron, Mount Eaton, Boliver, Strasburg, Winesburg, Fredericksburg and Orrville. Jackson, Plain, and Canton townships also were called to assist.

"There were so many, I think I left a few out," an exhausted Colucy said Friday morning.

The railroad company is a 24-hour operation, and Colucy said many employees were back on the job Friday.

A local commercial construction company was called to assess the fire damage, and determine whether rail-car shop employees could get back to work.

"They'll be able to salvage and reopen the building," the chief said. "But there's a lot of cleanup to do."

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