Fort Valley Cabinet Work Shop Catches Fire

FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fire fighters in Fort Valley responded to a call shortly before 9:00A.M. Monday, to put out a fire at H.L.S. Enterprise Custom Cabinets and Counter Tops.

“When they (fire fighters) got here, they pretty much made the decision, it was a big blaze, and that’s when they called for help,” Major Lawrence Spurgeon of Fort Valley Police commented.

City and county rescuers responded to the call. H.L.S is tucked between homes and the Badcock Furniture store, crews fought nearly an hour to get the flames of the wood working shop under control.

Workers next door to H.L.S., were just starting their day, when they noticed the owner of H.L.S. come stumbling out the front door of his shop.

“(He was) being chased by a flame, at the exit door, maybe eight or 10 feet high, with a black plume of smoke directly behind him,” a witness who wanted only to be identified as Charles said. “I saw him leap from the front door to the ground, then he kind of like collapsed on one knee, but then he got up and started running.”

Crews were finished fighting the fire about two and a half hours after the initial call for help. As of this point, it is unsure as to the extent of the damage to the building, or what caused the fire to start.