Shuford owner denies negligence in fire

April 24--The owner of the former Shuford Mills factory building that burned to the ground last summer says he told a company that kept equipment and supplies at the mill that the sprinkler systems were not working, so he should not have to cover the cost of that equipment.

Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. paid Shuford Yarns more than $2.5 million for raw materials, computers and machinery that were in part of The Old Shuford Mill off Falls Avenue in Granite Falls and were destroyed in the fire that began the evening of July 21.

A lawsuit filed by Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. alleges that Granger did not properly maintain the building's sprinkler system and did not obey the county fire marshal's order for a round-the-clock watch once the system's failure was discovered.

In his response filed at the Caldwell County Courthouse on March 16, Granger says he didn't do anything wrong. He says that Shuford Yarns was informed on July 19 that the sprinkler system was not working and that he had ordered a part for the sprinkler system, but the part would not be installed until July 24.

Granger said that Shuford Yarns chose to allow its property to remain at the building while waiting on repairs to the sprinkler system and the insurance company's loss is partially their fault.

He also says that he kept a 24-hour watch on the building.

The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount in compensatory damages, plus interest and court costs, also named One Putt Inc. and Ernest P. Keener Jr. as defendants. Granger and Keener were partners in One Putt, but Granger said in an interview in March that they dissolved the corporation several years ago and split the property in a verbal agreement that left him with the section that burned down.

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 828-610-8721.

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