Fire breaks out at Ghent lumber company | Columbia County

A lumber kiln is a type of oven used to dry out green wood for more immediate use. Different types of kilns treat different substances by heating them to specific temperatures.

At about 6:44 pm, Columbia County 911 sent West Ghent Fire Company to the scene after receiving reports of the fire.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, fire officials reported that the kiln was fully involved and requested mutual-aid assistance from neighboring fire companies.

Crews began pouring water on the burning kiln and reported the fire was under control at 7:12 pm

Firefighters then began checking to make sure there were no areas where the fire could start again.

The fire was contained to the kiln, and the wood that was inside it when the fire broke out, fire officials on the scene said.

No injuries were reported, fire officials said.

Quick action from firefighters kept the fire from spreading to any of the larger buildings in the area.

Due to limited space within the lumberyard, many of the arriving fire trucks staged along Orchard Road.

The owners of Ghent Wood Products posted a thank-you message on social media following the fire: “Ghent Wood Products and the Meltz Family sincerely thanks the heroism and quick response of our dedicated and loyal volunteer fire departments. Your quick actions resulted in quickly containing the fire in one of the kilns.”

They also thanked their employees, who assisted on Thursday: Nick Tipple, Tom Butts, Leonard Winters, Glenn Miller, Trevor Otty, Erik Hanson and TJ Kenny.

Fire departments who assisted West Ghent at the scene included Ghent, Stottville, Stuyvesant, Greenport and Stockport.

Also assisting at the scene were Greenport Rescue Squad and Columbia County Fire Coordinator’s Office.

All fire companies were back in service at 7:31 pm