CALIFORNIA BOROUGH, Pa. — A decades-old family business was destroyed by a fire in California, Washington County, leaving behind a collapsed roof, twisted steel and damaged vehicles and equipment.
The fire tore through Maund Industries, a concrete and construction business that the owner said had operated in the community since the 1980s.
No one was inside the building at the time, and no injuries were reported.
California Volunteer Fire Chief Tom Hartley said the fire was challenging to extinguish, with 15 fire departments responding.
“The building’s totaled. They lost all their equipment,” Hartley said. “They are a concrete and construction company in the area. And some of their personal cars were inside. They lost them.”
Neighbors who watched the fire said they heard a series of explosions as flames engulfed the building.
“You heard little poppings, then you heard big explosions,” California resident Robert Valentine said. “And then next you know, you see fire departments all around.”
“Lots of explosions. Tires blowing up, propane tanks. A little bit of everything, said Chief Hartley.
The owner told Channel 11 News that Maund Industries employed 12 people. Employees and family members returned to the property to assess the damage.
“Unbelievable. I mean everything was in there,” Dan Krilosky said.
“I’ve known the family for a long time; I worked here, as I said, never expected this to happen. But thank God nobody was in there or got hurt.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Hartley said the fire appeared to have started in a storage area of the building, but the fire marshal is investigating the official cause.
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