County of company: Warren County
Location of plant: 29425 State Hwy B, Pendleton
Phone: 636) 456-6006
"An overnight fire Friday, May 1, destroyed much of the Continental Pump building in Pendleton, the headquarters of one of Warren County’s longtime businesses.
"Warrenton Fire District Chief Anthony Hayeslip said a passing law enforcement officer saw the fire and called for responders around 8:24 p.m. Friday. The flames were already eating through the roof of the business, which is located on Highway B.
"As soon as Hayeslip arrived and saw the extent of the fire, he said he immediately called for additional support from districts in three surrounding counties. They battled the blaze until 12:30 a.m., and were at the scene until 5 a.m. putting out hotspots, Hayeslip said.
"The building is still standing, but 2/3 of the interior was destroyed, Hayeslip said.
'“By the time we got there, there was so much heat and smoke in there that it wasn’t safe to put (firefighters) at risk. All occupants were out of the building,” Hayesleip elaborated. “With steel structures, once they get a lot of heat, they’re susceptible to collapse. We worked in defensive mode all through the night until it was under control.”
"Continental Pump posted on Facebook that it is currently operating out of a temporary office building thanks to the help of several area businesses. The business thanked the firefighters and community members who have provided their support.
'“With the severity of our fire, ‘Thank you’ is an understatement. We have so much gratitude and appreciation for each and everyone that has helped,” the businesses said, also stating that it will work diligently to become fully operational once again.
"During the fire response, Chief Hayeslip said water supply was a significant issue. Hydrants in the Pendleton area don’t supply enough water pressure to fight fires, so tankers from several agencies had to pump water from a nearby pond and from hydrants at CertainTeed in Jonesburg.
"Hayeslip commented that a tanker truck from nearby Hoelscher Trucking showed up unbidden and volunteered to help with the effort, which Hayeslip called a Godsend.
"The chief said the cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the state fire marshal, but the blaze was believed to have started in the production area of the building and spread to the offices.
'“It was a tough loss. We hate to see any fire like that impact somebody, because it affects the whole community,” he commented.
"One silver lining, Hayeslip said, was that a fire wall built into a more recent section of the building protected a storage area from the fire. It withstood what was otherwise a very intense fire in the rest of the building, he commented." ~ Warrenton Record, by Adam Rollins, 5/6/2020