Remaining Part of Imperial Tobacco Warehouse on Fire

Source from:  The Daily Reflector 05/18/2009

Fire destroyed the remaining part of the Imperial Tobacco Warehouse on Saturday, a day after the site's smokestack was demolished with dynamite. There is no connection between the two incidents, Gary Coggins, Greenville fire marshal, said. It could take up to a week before a cause is determined, he said. Greenville Fire-Rescue was called to the Atlantic Avenue location about 4:30 p.m. Winds blew columns of smoke, which rose to more than 200 feet at times, over the downtown area and later northward across Fifth Street and the Tar River, Coggins said. There were concerns low-lying smoke could aggravate medical conditions, but after surveying the West Fifth Street area, firefighters determined an evacuation wasn't needed. Coggins said firefighters where in defensive mode, keeping the flames contained to the warehouse using a pumper and aerial ladders but not sending firefighters near the structure. Built in 1968, the warehouse was filled with rolls of plastic and boxes of plastic pellets, Coggins said. "It's so compact and there is so much … it is going to take some time to burn," Coggins said. "It's just like the other (warehouse)," he said. "It's full of plastic." The original portion of the former Imperial Tobacco Co. factory, later called the Imperial Tobacco Warehouse, was destroyed by fire April 17, 2008. Investigators said arson caused that fire. No one was arrested. Coggins said the first emergency personnel on the scene reported seeing a person come from underneath the building and run from the scene. Coggins said firefighters were told police talked with the individual. Coggins said it appears the person was trying to sleep. "We try to keep people out of it but they keep coming in," said Jimmy Davis, project foreman for Biggs Brothers Construction, which is overseeing the demolition and cleaning of the first building and the smokestack. Shortly before 7 p.m. the flow of water was cut. Coggins said the firefighters wanted steam to build up and take out a wall. About 15 minutes later, the warehouse wall facing Atlantic Avenue collapsed, taking part of the roof with it. The goal is to make it easier to deluge the fire with water, he said. The structure's roof soon fell onto the second floor which in turn collapsed to the ground floor. By 8:45 p.m., another wall was preparing to collapse, Coggins said. Enditem