WFXG Fox54 Augusta-Your News One Hour EarlierFire chief says Clearwater Finishing Plant fire 'likely suspicious'

Fire chief says Clearwater Finishing Plant fire 'likely suspicious'

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By Mark Barber - bio | email
Clearwater, SC (WFXG) -

Massive flames ripped through the abandoned Finishing Plant in Clearwater late Tuesday night.

"It was really hot, there was a bunch of fire, there were a few explosions, I was in Bi-Lo and it shook the Plexiglas in Bi-Lo," said James Ard.

"It went from smoke to nothing but engulfed in flames the whole building was just burning," said Andrew Fore.

"The flames were probably 70 to 80 feet above the roof line of the building. At that point the chief decided to pull everybody out because of the hazards in the building," said the captain of the Clearwater Fire Department, Sammy Turner.   

Seven fire crews fought the blaze throughout the night and as daylight broke the fire was still burning.

Investigators say no one was injured in the blaze and the plant has been out of operation since the 1980s.

Investigators also say the plant was actually in the process of being demolished and no one was inside during the fire.

Investigators are looking for the source of the blaze and Bath fire chief, Clay Gifley said the fire was most likely suspicious; and those who live nearby agree.

"I've had a lot of experience, industrial experience in my life time and fires like this just don't start by themselves," said a Clearwater resident. The resident doesn't want to be identified because he doesn't want to become a target if the fire was started.

Fox54's Mark Barber asked the Clearwater resident, "What would someone gain by starting the fire?"

The Clearwater resident said, "Principally the owner would gain a lot, save a lot of money in cleaning up what they were doing."

But the owner of the property, Christian Morton says this claim doesn't hold water.

"It is insane to think that management had anything to do with the fire so horrendous that could have injured so many people," said Morton.

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office is investigating the source of the fire. They also say asbestos were removed from the plant years ago and no harmful chemicals were released in the blaze.