Firefighters were still putting out hotspots more than 15 hours after a massive fire ripped through an old mill in Vernon Monday.
Several fire departments responded to the warehouse fire around 2 a.m. in a building at the corner of Brooklyn Street and Vernon Avenue.
Several homes nearby had to be evacuated due to the extreme heat from the fire, officials said. One home sustained some heat damage, they said.
Residents who were forced from their homes were given the opportunity to go to a warming center provided by Rockville General Hospital, the Red Cross, and the Town of Vernon.
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“I am grateful to the first responders from throughout the region who helped fight the fire and staff our fire stations,” Mayor Dan Champagne said. “I also thank our neighbors at Rockville General Hospital for opening their doors to provide a warming center for people displaced by the fire. And thank you to the American Red Cross for staffing the warming center and attending to the needs of the neighborhood residents. Our community and our neighbors far and near have stepped up to help us through this massive fire.”
The building that burned is a large warehouse. The structure was built in 1862 and has had several owners over the years, according to Vernon officials.
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It was the current location for Crystal Tool & Machine.
"I’m sort of in dismay, I don’t know what I’m going to do now. My means of making a living, down the drain," said John Yedziniak, the company's owner. "You know, I can’t capture any of the machinery out of there now or nothing. You know, I’m a dead duck right now."
Yedziniak, who is 91, has operated the business for 63 years.
No injuries were reported.
Crews from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were at the scene throughout the day conducting an environmental analysis. Samples of ash and debris from the fire have tested negative for asbestos, according to Vernon officials.
Crews are expected to be at the scene for hours.
Vernon Avenue is currently closed between West Main Street and Linden Place. Brooklyn Street is also closed between Vernon Avenue and Court Street.
The cause is under investigation. Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or anyone with information about the fire is urged to contact Vernon police.
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