The Kaskaskia Workshop laundry building in the Centralia Industrial Park has been damaged by what is believed to be a ‘spontaneous combustion’ fire.
Centralia Fire Chief Jeff Day says video surveillance inside the building shows the fire breaking out in a laundry hopper cart with freshly washed sheets. The fire then spread to a second hopper cart full of sheets and then to the nearby outside metal wall and garage of the building. The fire was so hot it melted some of the metal wall and set the wooden structure inside the metal on fire.
Day says firemen had to take part of the wall of the building apart to reach the burning wood. The fire also damaged the garage doors. In addition, there was some heat and smoke damage throughout.
Day notes the laundry is done at 190 degrees to kill any germs.
Kaskaskia Workshop spokesperson Hillary Queen says they were awaiting an insurance adjuster and an electrician on Tuesday to determine the extent of the damage.
The facility does all the laundry for Bryan Manor and the workload requires for the wash to be done every day, but twice, each year. Queen reports they were trying to find a solution for Bryan Manor until they can get back in operation.
The fire broke out about five Monday night, about a half hour after the last employee had left the building. The fire was reported by automatic alarm.
Day originally had asked the State Fire Marshal to investigate because the garage doors were found open, but the video later showed something during the fire apparently triggered them to raise.
Queen wants to thank the fast response of all of the fire departments and other emergency response agencies which helped keep the fire damage from being more severe.
Damage to the garage entry to the Kaskaskia Workshop laundry building. Photo by Pat Hodges.
