Fire destroys Kettering business

• Heavy flames and smoke could be seen for miles
• Cause of fire under investigation
• Fire crews continue to put out hot spots Wednesday morning

UPDATE@5:50 p.m. (July 1):

An industrial fire at Genesis Rescue Systems Tuesday night rendered the building and its contents a total loss, Kettering Fire Chief Tom Butts said Wednesday.

The fire is believed to have started in the rear of the one-story facility in the 2700 block of Culver Avenue, and spread to the roof. The cause is under investigation, Butts said, noting “we have no idea at this time why it started.”

“We’re looking at some extensive damage to this building,” said Kurt Schoenfeld, Genesis Rescue Systems dealer.

The fire chief said there is “nothing suspicious whatsoever” about the fire that burned through most of the roof and caused a spare truck tire inside to explode. The cost of the damage has not been determined.

Crews received the dispatch at 6:19 p.m. Tuesday and found heavy flames and smoke that could be seen for miles, Butts said. Fire officials spoke with the business owner, the chief said, who told them it was a normal business day and that all of the employees left at 5 p.m.

Genesis manufactures hydraulic rescue tools such as the Jaws of Life, a mechanical spread fire and rescue personnel use when people are left trapped after vehicle accidents. Firefighters were concerned about hydraulic fluid inside the business.

“The inventory was spared,” said Schoenfeld. “The inventory was in what we call a bunker, inside of the building, and there was no smoke, or fire penetration to that building.” The company will move equipment and inventory to another building down the street and resume manufacturing.

“We will be fully operational by the end of the business day, today,” said Shoenfeld on Wednesday.

Flames spread to a roof of a neighboring business, but firefighters extinguished the flames. Firefighters were also spraying water on neighboring buildings and monitoring those buildings to make sure they didn’t catch fire.

There were no injuries, Butts said.

First take:

An industrial fire at Genesis Rescue Systems Tuesday night rendered the building and its contents a total loss, Kettering Fire Chief Tom Butts said.

The fire, believed to have started in the rear of the one-story facility in the 2700 block of Culver Avenue, is under investigation, Butts said, noting “we have no idea at this time why it started.”

He said there is “nothing suspicious whatsoever” about the fire that burned through most of the roof and caused a spare truck tire inside to explode. He declined to guess at estimating the dollar-figure loss.

Crews received the dispatch at 6:19 p.m. Tuesday and found heavy flames and smoke that could be seen for miles, Butts said. Fire officials spoke with the business owner, the chief said, who told them it was a normal business day and that all of the employees left at 5 p.m.

Genesis manufactures hydraulic rescue tools such as the Jaws of Life, a mechanical spread fire and rescue personnel use when people are left trapped after vehicle accidents. Firefighters were concerned about hydraulic fluid inside the business.

There were no injuries, Butts said.

Flames spread to a roof of a neighboring business, but firefighters were able to extinguish the flames. Firefighters were also spraying water on neighboring buildings and monitoring those buildings to make sure they didn’t catch fire.