Cause of blaze unknown; lumberyard will be rebuilt

CORNWALL — The cause of a massive fire Jan. 12 that destroyed the contractor sales office, a storage building and delivery vehicles at the Northeast Building Supply lumberyard in Cornwall Bridge remains undetermined. 

The blaze at the village center business on Kent Road/Route 7 was reported by a neighbor at about 11:30 p.m. The storage building and racks of lumber were already fully engulfed. Volunteers from 21 fire departments responded and were able to save part of the adjacent office building and showroom, which ignited from the overwhelming heat.

Firefighters were on scene until noon the next day, monitoring hot spots. An investigation began while the remains still smoldered, but after two days, state and local fire marshals were unable to come to any conclusions. 

“The cause will likely remain undetermined,” Fire Marshal Stanley MacMillan said. “We have closed the investigation. There was so much heat and such a large fuel load. The damage was so severe we couldn’t find exactly where it started or what might have caused it.”

MacMillan said they ruled out anything suspicious, as well as a freight train that passed by about 10 minutes before the fire was reported.

Sparks from train engines have set brush fires in the past, which led to public speculation that that could have been the case at the lumberyard. But MacMillan said the fire clearly started inside the storage building.  By the time a neighbor smelled smoke and went out to investigate, the fire had been burning for quite some time — long enough to begin burning through to the exterior. 

It is an emotional loss. Many in the community recalled family members who were employees, or worked there themselves. They worried about loss of jobs for the many locals who currently work there, and the overall impact on the local economy. 

As devastating as it was, it became yet another example of how a community and its neighbors come together when needed. 

More than 100 firefighters contributed to an effort that included a tanker brigade to haul from the Housatonic River the enormous water supply needed to battle the blaze. Many were there all night, despite having to go to work in the morning. 

At the nearby Cornwall Country Market, owners Idella and James Shepard opened in the middle of the night to feed and warm the hardworking firefighters and keep them going. 

Meanwhile, business goes on at the company’s hardware store, kitchen center and Benjamin Moore paint center about a quarter mile north of the lumberyard. All are now owned by the Bridgeport-based Northeast Building Supply, established in 1868. 

Owner Jan Cohen issued a statement to employees on Jan. 15 that read, “All yard materials appear to be intact, but we lost the materials and vehicles stored in or around the shed and the yard offices.  No one was hurt, and team members are on site helping to get operations as normal as possible. 

“On behalf of myself and co-owner Arnie Foster, we know that we have the best team and employees any business owners could hope for. At this time we will rally together, make our deliveries, and begin the rebuilding process. This event is a challenge that will be met head-on and we will emerge stronger than ever. Plans to rebuild are already underway.  

“In the meantime, we are making deliveries out of our Bridgeport facility and employees are being deployed as needed. Temporary operations will be set up on-site as soon as the debris is cleared away. 

“We are extremely appreciative for the efforts of the Connecticut and New York fire departments. We want to thank our town and state officials, local area residents, customers, vendors, employees and other area lumber dealers for the unprecedented support that all have offered.  

“Their outreach has been thoughtful and many.  We are truly grateful.”