Firefighters battle Friday blaze on Winn Ave.
Part of the former McCammish Manufacturing building was damaged by a fire Friday afternoon as workers demolished part of the building.
The fire was reported shortly before noon at 148 Winn Ave. The fire was in the back part of the building on the main floor, Winchester Fire-EMS Chief Cathy Rigney said.
City firefighters were first on the scene and found the fire at the back of the structure.
“They had some smoke showing on the back of the building where they are tearing some stuff down,” Rigney said.
The fire then went into the wooden rafters and through the back part of the building.
Anthony Clark, who oversees the daily operations for the building, which includes the Ole Red Barn Mall, Watson Building and Water Flow Systems, said the business offices and the mall received no damage.
Everyone was evacuated from the building and no one was injured.
Clark said workers were in the process of tearing down 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of building at the rear of the property. He said something “sparked” and started the fire.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Clark said. “We’ll air it out and be back to business. Nothing of any significant value got damaged.”
A couple dozen Winchester and Clark County firefighters spent several hours Friday afternoon chasing hot spots through the rear part of the building, after extinguishing the fire on the main floor.
Rigney said the back part of the building was partially open, but there were multiple additions to the building and there was some manufacturing equipment still inside.
Rigney said the cause of the fire is still under investigation and more details may be available next week. No injuries were reported.
Clark said he was impressed by the work of the firefighters.
“They did a great job,” he said.
Firefighters from Lexington Fire Department were called in to cover the city while the local departments were on the fire scene.