No cause determined yet for B&B Salvage fire

Dec. 14--CHAZY -- The cause and origin of a fire that devastated the building at B&B Salvage remained under investigation Wednesday evening, Clinton County Emergency Services Director Eric Day said.

Clinton County fire investigators were working with an insurance investigator, and State Police are not involved, he said.

The business, located at 9362 Route 9, was fully engulfed in flames when Dennis Pilon, assistant chief at Chazy Volunteer Fire Department, arrived after the call went out at 4:09 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Michael Cahoon told the Press-Republican.

"There was heavy fire throughout the building," he said, adding that a number of people driving by had called in the blaze.

DRY HYDRANT

Chazy Fire, along with Rouses Point, West Chazy, Beekmantown, Altona, Mooers and Champlain, made up a tanker task force, totaling about 35 firefighters strong.

"We shuttled water from Duprey Road," where a dry hydrant draws from the (Great) Chazy River, Cahoon said.

Town of Plattsburgh District 3 Fire stood by at Chazy's station.

University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital EMS was at the fire site for a time before Chazy EMS took over, the chief said.

EXTERIOR ATTACK

All efforts attacked the flaming structure from the exterior, Cahoon said.

He added that the weather did not pose any challenges.

Firefighters had to use air packs as they fought the flames because of heavy smoke.

"I don't know how many bottles we went through," the chief said.

Mooers Fire brought its air truck to refill them.

NOBODY HURT

Day said owner Robert Bourgeois has insurance on the building.

Nobody was injured in the fire, Cahoon said.

"Everybody was fine, everybody worked great together and mutual aid was awesome as always."

The departments were back in service at 8 p.m.

Bourgeois couldn't be reached to talk about the fire.

Other fires have broken out on the grounds of the salvage yard in past years.

Email Cara Chapman:

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Twitter: @PPR_carachapman

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