RIDGWAY – The investigation continues into the fire that ignited at 12:08 p.m. Saturday at an Allegheny Coatings building in Ridgway. There aren’t any suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire, according to the Ridgway-based state police.
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal and the Ridgway Borough Police Department investigated the origin and cause of the fire that damaged a secondary Alleghany Coatings building. It’s a 48-foot by 180-foot, steel-framed industrial building that’s located at 215 River Rd. in Ridgway.
The building is located across the street from the main Allegheny Coatings facility. It was unoccupied at the time of the fire. An Arch Metals employee, a neighboring industrial facility, observed “heavy smoke” coming from the Allegheny Coatings building at approximately 12:08 p.m. Saturday, state police said.
The fire originated inside the building on the second floor in an office area. Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, there aren’t any suspicious circumstances, state police said. No injuries were reported; damage is estimated at $250,000.
According to the state police, the building contained various industrial chemicals. The fire was contained, before it caused any chemical loss. The Elk County Hazardous Materials Response Team determined that there wasn’t any environmental damage.
In addition to the response team, the Ridgway Fire Department was assisted by the Johnsonburg, Fox Township and Crystal fire departments.
Allegheny Coatings’ main facility remains open for business.