Center Garage/Workshop
Destroyed by Fire
By Sandy Cooch

A two-story garage and workshop on the Randolph Center property of Larry and Ginny Richburg was destroyed by fire Friday, while the family was out of state. Larry Richburg, a local contractor, had his shop on the second floor of the building.

Richburg and family had been visiting relatives in Texas and were due back home the following day, Richburg said yesterday.

Randolph Center Fire Chief Al Floyd said the building's contents- including a pickup truck, kerosene, paints, and other accelerants- fed the blaze and kept firefighters on scene for four hours.

Chief Floyd said the fire did not appear suspicious, but that he had asked state police fire investigators to visit the scene.

The alarm came in at 11:58 a.m., via a 911-call apparently placed by a ClearSource employee. The water-bottling company's property is adjacent to the Richburgs'.

Floyd said as he headed out of the fire station and saw the smoke, he radioed for mutual aid from the Randolph Village, East Randolph, and Brookfield fire departments.

Unfortunately, firefighters were initially advised that the fire was at ClearSource, and so the first equipment on scene had to turn around and go back up Route 66 to the Richburg's drive.

Floyd said it was evident, when he arrived on scene, that the garage would be lost. Flames were shooting out of the second story windows and fire was already consuming the upper part of the building, he said.

Firefighters used a "surround and drown" tactic, with multiple tankers supplying one engine.

Gas leaking from the pickup's fuel tank complicated their efforts.

Floyd this week extended a special thanks to town crew members, who brought a loader on scene to drag Richburg's truck out of the garage. They were able to get close enough to hook a chain on the truck after firefighters had "knocked down" the structure fire, Floyd said. The gas fire was extinguished with foam.

The Richburgs' residence, which is across the drive and a distance from the garage, was undamaged. According to Floyd, that illustrates the wisdom of siting side buildings at a distance from other structures.

Had the house been adjacent to the garage, he said, "It would have been a disaster."

Richburg said this week that he plans to cart away the wreckage, as soon as he has clearance from the insurance company, and begin reconstruction on the foundation.

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