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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 2, 2005 Tolo Forest Products mill Manager Tom Schill examines a saw blade he pulled from the ashes of a maintenance shop. Investigators aren�t sure what started the fire, which destroyed two buildings and a pickup. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Tolo mill fire cause unknown Blaze ignites early Thursday morning and takes out two buildings; no one was reported injured By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — A smoky odor hung in the air Thursday at Tolo Forest Products, where mill manager Tom Schill trudged through piles of wet sawdust and contemplated the damage caused by a destructive overnight fire. Although disappointed to have lost an estimated $100,000 in mill property during the early morning blaze, Schill had no trouble seeing the situation’s bright side. "It hurts us, but it could have been a lot worse," he said. "It could have burned down the production line, and then we wouldn’t have been able to do anything here. "The most important thing is that nobody got hurt." Investigators do not yet know what sparked the mill fire, reported to Jackson County Fire District No. 3 crews at 1:33 a.m. Thursday. Don Hickman, a District 3 deputy fire marshal, said it does not appear the blaze in the 7000 block of Tolo Road was intentionally set. Advertisement "I don’t think it’s suspicious," Hickman said. When District 3 crews arrived at the scene, they found flames shooting from a mill maintenance shop and an adjacent building. Hickman said firefighters realized they could not save the structures and instead focused on preventing flying embers from sparking spot fires in surrounding dry grass. "That was a real threat," he said. "That could have been really ugly." Crews were also concerned with flames that spread to a nearby wood-chip bin. Fearing the large bin would collapse from interior heat caused by the fire, officials decided to empty hundreds of pounds of chips onto the ground. "For them to save that bin right there, that’s a miracle," Schill said. "I was amazed they were able to do that." In addition to destroying two buildings, the fire consumed a 1989 Chevy pickup owned by millwright Bob Burch, who arrived for work as usual at 4:30 a.m. Thursday to find his burned truck parked amid the blackened debris. "I left it here after the clutch went out on it," said Burch. "Material things can be replaced, but that was my favorite. Who’d have ever thought?" Schill, who has managed Tolo Forest Products for 15 years, said his operation includes two mills. While it was business as usual Thursday at the "lower mill," Schill said he hopes to have the damaged upper section reopened sometime next week. Like the investigators, Schill is uncertain of the fire’s cause. He said vandals and transients used to create trouble on the property, but they haven’t posed a problem at the mill for about four years. Most mill employees left work at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, long before the fire was reported. "We can’t figure it out," Schill said. "There was nobody out here." Hickman and Schill acknowledged a small fire could have started Wednesday afternoon during working hours and was not noticed until flames spread to structures and filled the night sky. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail Tolo mill fire cause unknown ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Distance Education www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Helzberg Diamonds Computer Security Casino Gambling Sites Cheap Website Templates Budget Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Memory Foam Mattress Diamonds Online Poker Home Equity Loans Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Advertisement s