Fire Damages Wood-Finishing Firm in Orange
A fire at a wood-finishing business in Orange was extinguished early Friday, but not before nearly destroying the building, city fire officials said.
The blaze at Select Finish in the 2200 block of North Batavia Street started about 11 p.m. Thursday and continued to burn until about 1 a.m. Friday, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Doug Mochizuki said.
There were no injuries.
Materials stacked around the building made it difficult for firefighters to get to the blaze, Mochizuki said. “The firefighters couldn’t get between it, so they had to use forklifts to move materials not burned,” he said.
About 35 firefighters battled the blaze, which was fueled by moldings, doors, lumber and plastic pipes, he said.
Mochizuki said the burning materials and the smoke created no health risk. However, he said four people living in a trailer on property behind the building were evacuated as a precaution.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Mochizuki said the fire burned for so long it may be difficult for the investigators to pinpoint the source.
Fire officials were waiting for the owner of the business to return from Hawaii to determine the value of the loss, he said.
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