A small electrical fire triggered a blaze inside a storage warehouse last Thursday atWarrenton Oil Co. in Truesdale, Mo., that burned down thelubricant and fuel distributor’s corporate offices and warehouse,and injured two firefighters.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. a fire broke out inside the main distribution warehouse that contained storage items for the companys convenience store operations including oils, greases, lubes and paper supplies. Several area fire departments and hazardous material crews responded to the emergency.
It was a complete loss, said fire Chief Michael Owenby of the Warrenton Fire Department.
According to the chief, it has been determined that a small electrical fire in the computer room – located on the mezzanine section of the warehouse – touched off the large-scale fire inside the facility. It took over four hours to bring the fire under control and nine hours to completely take care of all the outbreaks, he said.
No employees were inside the facility at the time of the incident.
The site is the headquarters for Warrenton Oil. It includes its corporate offices and storage warehouse. The offices, adjacent to the warehouse, suffered smoke and water damage, the chief said. To minimize interruption of business, the company has relocated to temporary offices in the local area.
Warrenton Oil Vice President Mark Baker said in a statement to the media: Warrenton Oils facilities are regularly inspected and the facilities and procedures are kept current with all local, state and federal requirements. We are working to assess the extent of damage and keep our employees and business stakeholders informed.
At this point, the company has not released details of monetary loss or its plans to reconstruct the facility. The fire is still under investigation, said Chief Owenby.
Since 1972, Warrenton Oil Co. has been a family-owned and operated lube and fuel distributor headquartered in Truesdale, located 60 miles south of St. Louis. Today, the company has diversified, adding 30 car washes, 29 convenience stores and two hotels to its business operations. The company has a workforce of 470 employees.