Firemen pour water onto a blaze which destroyed two warehouses and damaged a third at Belton Building Materials about noon today. (By Bill Ironside of The Free Press)
Seven London fire companies successfully fought a three-alarm blaze about noon today at Belton Building Materials, 313 Rectory St., in London.
The blaze destroyed two large adjoining warehouses which contained building materials and damaged a third which contained lumber.
Some lumber and other building materials in the yard between the warehouses also were damaged or destroyed.
Company president Jim Belton said he could not estimate the amount of damage but said the warehouses contained “the usual amount” of materials.
The blaze, reported about 11:20 a.m., sent a pillar of smoke and flame into the sky that could be seen across the city.
District fire chief George Gibbs said all fire companies on the east side of the city fought the blaze.
Belton said no cause has been determined and there was no one injured in the fire, which also resulted in the closing of the main store at Florence and Rectory streets.
However Belton said he expected the main store, which was not damaged, to be reopened Tuesday.
It was the second major fire at the location which Belton has occupied for about 75 years.
The president said there was a large fire about 1930. He said today’s loss was insured.
