ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609160058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: FAIRLAWN
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
Five fire companies were needed to battle a fierce blaze Saturday that destroyed a Fairlawn commercial building that housed four businesses.
Fairlawn Fire Chief Bud Trigg called the fire at Schewel Furniture, Powers Fence, the Carpet Shop and the Tax Service one of the most devastating in his memory.
"We've lost two churches, [but] as far as actual money loss I'd say this is the biggest fire that I've ever remembered in Fairlawn," Trigg said shortly after noon Saturday.
By then, firefighters from his department, Dublin, the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, Radford and the Twin Communities Fire Department of Belspring and Parrott had been at the fire for about five hours. Pulaski County lifesaving and rescue squads were also on hand.
Still, smoke rolled over Fairlawn and tongues of fire were visible behind the off-white brick storefront, the only part of the building left standing. The building is on U.S. 11 next to Hardees at Peppers Ferry Road.
"There at one time, I thought we had it whipped," Trigg said, "We didn't, as you can tell. The fire apparently traveled from its origination in the carpet shop through the ceiling and continued to spread."
The 7:20 a.m. alarm rousted Trigg from his sleep. He said a Pulaski County sheriff's deputy was first on the scene. When Trigg arrived, smoke was so heavy in the carpet shop that you couldn't see inside through the windows, he said, but there were no flames showing. He believes the fire "had been burning a long time" by then.
With carpeting, padding, vinyl flooring, bedding and other combustible items in the stores, the fire spread quickly and burned long. Trigg said he expected the fire would burn for several days.
Calvin Powers, the building's owner, gave a preliminary estimate of the damage at between $1.5 million and $2 million.
"We'll be back and we'll rebuild, I imagine," he said.
"There's nothing I can do, just go on from here," Powers said, shrugging his shoulders as he watched the firefighters work.
Pulaski County sheriff's investigators were on the scene to help find the cause of the blaze, which had not been determined by Saturday afternoon.
Photographer Lora Gordon contributed to this story.
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: LORA GORDON/Staff. Firefighters battle the Fairlawn fireby CNBSaturday. color.