When fire crews arrived on the scene they encountered heavy smoke from the central portion of the facility. Maintenance crews had been working near a machine that is used to spray finishing stain onto furniture trim pieces. The crews were drilling holes through metal and some of the heated metal shavings fell into the finishing machine, igniting the flammable materials inside.

Fire crews used traditional methods such as foam and dry chemical extinguishers. However, these proved to be largely ineffective in extinguishing the smoldering fire. The machine was then unbolted from the floor and removed from the building with assistance from Martinsville Public Works Department crews who used a front end loader to carry the machine to a safe location outside.  Firefighters, along with the city’s public safety officer, consulted with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management who advised them to cover the machine with dirt until the blaze extinguished fully on its own. The site where the machine sits, now covered with dirt, will be monitored by employees from Southern Finishing overnight; no further problems are expected. There were no injuries and no structural damage to the finishing facility.