ATF ‘National Response Team’ Investigating Latest Furniture Plant Fire In Pontotoc County

ECRU, MISS. (WCBI) – A massive fire at a Pontotoc County furniture plant is being investigated by federal and state agencies.  It’s the second fire at the same plant in less than a year and the third at an area furniture plant this year.

Monday morning was the first time investigators were able to go inside what is left of the warehouse and office area at the American Furniture Plant in Ecru.

It took firefighters hours to extinguish the blaze. There were two security guards on the property Saturday morning,  one noticed smoke and called 9-1-1.

Pontotoc County’s Fire Coordinator says the decision to call in all area fire departments, and ask for state and federal investigators was made quickly.

“Early on Saturday morning we called our fire investigator with Pontotoc County Sheriff Department and state Fire Marshal office was contacted and then the ATF was contacted,” said Pontotoc County Fire Coordinator Adam Patton.

Members of the ATF’s National Response Team are expected to be on site for the next seven to ten days, they will reconstruct the scene, determine where the fire started and how it started.  And in the case of arsons, NRT investigators gather evidence for criminal prosecutions.

Fires at Pontotoc County furniture factories have kept firefighters busy this year.  Several weeks ago, fire tore through production lines, warehouse and office space at Pontotoc’s Washington Furniture , and in January, another building at American Furniture was destroyed when fire broke out.

Patton says firefighters learned a lot from the January fire and made sure there was enough water brought in to fight the latest blaze.

“We were doing another extensive water shuttle operation but it went a lot smoother this time, we got the trucks there early and so it wasn’t an issue,” Patton said.

Firemen were able to keep the blaze from spreading to a nearby building.  Company officials say some workers could be back on the job by Thursday.

More than 20 ATF agents are at American Furniture as that investigation continues.  The blaze last month at Washington Furniture, less than five miles away, has been ruled arson.