A machine at Solero Technologies caught fire Monday morning.
WATER VALLEY – A machine inside Solero Technologies on South Main Street caught fire early Monday morning, prompting a quick response from the Water Valley Fire Department.
Fire Chief Mark McGavock said the department received the call at 5:55 a.m., with dispatch reporting a fire in the building that houses on the county’s largest employers.
“When the dispatcher said fire in the dryer room inside Solero, you know that is the real deal,” McGavock said. “And you quickly realize how small our department is for such a big building.”
The alarm sounded inside the plant, and workers exited the building as firefighters arrived on the scene. McGavock said the fire was quickly extinguished in a joint effort with the Solero maintenance department. Fire fighters were on the scene within five minutes.
The chief also reported that the fire was located underneath a machine, making it difficult for the building’s sprinkler system to extinguish the flames. Damage from the fire was largely contained to the machine itself, though the sprinkler system may have caused some additional damage inside the facility.
“A temporary shutdown is a better outcome than a complete loss,” McGavock said. “People don’t like the expense of that sprinkler system, but it is critical.”
Heat and smoke damage were reported to be minimal, and cleanup efforts are underway.
“They have some cleanup to do,” McGavock said.
Other departments in the county, including the Velma Fire Department, were also dispatched for mutual aid.
The chief credited routine safety inspections at commercial buildings in Water Valley for helping minimize fire hazards.
“Thankfully, with good inspections, we haven’t had a commercial fire in Water Valley in over four years,” McGavock said.
