Blaze burns businesses

Hannah Marney
The Union-Recorder

February 14, 2008 06:07 pm

— A massive fire Sunday night destroyed two North Columbia Street businesses and damaged a third, leaving it closed for at least a week or longer.
Milledgeville Fire Department was called out about 8:15 p.m. Sunday after Pig In A Pit Bar-B-Que restaurant was reported on fire, Milledgeville Fire Department Chief Tom Dietrich said.
When fire crews arrived moments later, flames were shooting through the roof of Pig In A Pit and the blaze continued to move toward Discount Mattress next door, Chief Dietrich said.
“The roof was already burning through and either collapsed right before or shortly after we got there,” Chief Dietrich said.
Witness Gloria Reece reported hearing a loud explosion.
“I was eating across the street and heard a big boom. I thought two cars had collided. The next thing I knew, I saw smoke across the street and by the time I got to my car I could see fire coming up from the back. It was like a giant fireball,” Reece said.
There were several explosions including one large one that shook the ground, Chief Dietrich said.
“A 100-pound propane cylinder blew up,” Chief Dietrich said. “One blew its valve off and another split, which was the loudest explosion.”
The cylinder that split could have potentially hurt someone if circumstances had been different, Chief Dietrich said.
“It could have turned into a missile,” Chief Dietrich said. “There was enough roofing material holding it in place that it didn’t move away. It could have traveled 200 to 300 feet easily, hurting firefighters and even pedestrians who were watching the fire from across the street.”
It took a large amount of water to extinguish the blaze, Chief Dietrich said.
“We were using about 2,500 to 3,000 gallons of water a minute,” Chief Dietrich said. “It is one of largest fires we have had in a while.”
A second unit from Milledgeville Fire was called to the scene as well as units from Baldwin County Fire Department stations at North Baldwin and Hardwick to battle the blaze, Dietrich said.
“We have automatic aid and we can also ask for additional manpower from the county,” Dietrich said.
Mattresses inside Discount Mattress served as fuel for the fire.
“As the mattresses were burning, the roof caved in and the wood and shingling covered those fires, preventing any water from being able to get to the bedding on fire,” Chief Dietrich said.
It took about five hours to put out all the smaller fires, Chief Dietrich said.
“We had to go through the shingles and roofing material to get water to the bedding that was on fire,” Chief Dietrich said. “We had hundreds of spot fires.”
No cause of the fire has been determined and an investigator will continue to probe the fire through today, Wayne Whitaker, spokesman for state Fire and Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said.
“There is no preliminary cause at this time,” Whitaker said, adding that two of the businesses appear to be a total loss.
The firewall between Discount Mattress and Video Warehouse helped keep damage to Video Warehouse to a minimum.
“It gave us the time needed to get the fire under control,” Chief Dietrich said. “The only reason Video Warehouse is here is because of that firewall.”
Discount Mattress owner Lee Dennis said his business would return.
“The store does very well, we have been here for six years and we will return,” Dennis said.
Pig In A Pit co-owner Hal Loper said he is amazed by the community’s support.
“We have had a lot of outpouring of support from other businesses and customers,” Loper said.
All 16 employees will be moved to the restaurant’s Macon store or offered jobs at other Milledgeville restaurants, Loper said.
Pig In A Pig has been working on its downtown Milledgeville location since August and will continue that process, Loper said.
“This does not interrupt that as far as I know,” Loper said.
The business has been located there for five years, and Loper said the memories made couldn’t be replaced.
“Some of the items in there, such as pictures, are irreplaceable,” Loper said.
Eddie Williams, co-owner of the Video Warehouse Shopping Center, said they would rebuild the center.
“Video Warehouse should be open for business again by the end of the week,” Williams said. “The tanning area suffered some damage so it will take longer to fix.”
Video Warehouse suffered some smoke and water damage, Williams said.

Alexander Cain contributed to this report.

See video footage of the fire: www.youtube.com/UnionRecorder

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