KFD responds as mutual aid to Rector business fire

The Rector Pallet Company was the victim of a fire on Saturday night. The fire was so large that fire departments from Rector, Ark., Piggott, Ark., Kennett, Greenway, Ark., and Northeast Greene County responded as mutual aid. Photo by Nancy Kemp of the Clay County Democrat

The Rector Pallet Company was overcome in flames on Saturday night as five different fire departments, including the Kennett Fire Department, worked on controlling the incident and stopping the fire from spreading.

The Rector Fire Department was notified at approximately 6:20 p.m., of heavy smoke from the old lumber shed building on 5th and Main Streets, according to the fire report.

This was followed by the department being paged at 6:21 p.m., for response to the heavy smoke. Upon the departments arrival, heavy black smoke was moving through all of the exterior's openings, according to the officials.

One official, James Lyles, returned to the pallet area to look for present individuals. No one was found on the property, but the largest amount of smoke appeared to be escaping from the center of the building, according to reports.

Mutual aid was requested at this point from Marmaduke for an engine and crew, Piggott for an aerial truck and crew, Kennett for an aerial truck and crew, Greenway for manpower, and Northeast Greene County for manpower. Additional aid was requested from ENTERGY for electrical disconnect, Associated Natural Gas for gas disconnect, Clay County Sheriff's Department for traffic control, and Union Pacific Railroad to halt rail traffic, according to the officials.

As the fire continued, the officials noted that Rector truck 501 connected to a fire hydrant at 5th and Main Streets and sent two, one-and-one-half attack lines and one, two-and-one-half attack lines for the crews on the north end of the structure.

Rector truck 502 connected to a fire hydrant at 4th and Dodd Streets and deployed two, one-and-one-half lines and one, two-and-one-half lines for the deck gun-monitor. Attack crews from this truck covered the northeast corner of the structure, according to the reports.

Marmaduke truck 301 connected to a hydrant at 6th and Dodd Streets and provided two, two-and-one-half lines and one, one-and-one-half lines in order to provide defensive protection for the factory and suppression to the original structure on the southwest corner, the officials noted.

Piggott Ladder 45 connected to a hydrant on Front and Stewart Streets and staged at 5th and Main Streets to provide aerial suppression to the northeast corner of the structure, added officials.

Kennett Ladder 1 connected to hydrants at 6th and Main Streets and 7th and Main Streets and staged on the railroad crossing at Main Street to provide aerial suppression to the southeast corner of the structure, according to the report.

The officials added that during the course of incident, Arkansas Methodist Medical Center ambulance R-97 established a rehab area at West 5th and Dodd Streets. At this area, a tent was erected and fitted with a misting hose to provide a cool down area for attack crews. The Rector Firemen's Wives Auxiliary provided constant G-2 juices to keep the officials hydrated, according to those on the scene. A sandwich line was also set up around 10 p.m., according to the report.

The officials also noted that roadblocks were organized during the event on North Main and 4th Streets and Highway 90 and Highway 49 both detours diverting to Pine or Sikes Road.

All crews worked in a defensive mode, according to officials, because of the unsafe fuel load and construction of the building.

The fire was controlled at approximately 8:30 p.m., according to the report, which added that the roof had collapsed and a city backhoe was brought in to knock down the remaining walls. A fire line was also cut with the backhoe in order to separate the pallet factory from the original structure.

The report noted that at approximately 9 p.m., both aerial trucks were released to return to their stations, UP railroad was notified to resume rail traffic, and Main Street was reopened to traffic.

Truck 502 was released at 10:30 p.m., Marmaduke truck 301 was also released at 10:30 p.m., and all other Rector crews left the scene at midnight to return to station number one for cleanup, according to the officials.