Firefighters battle Dunbar Twp. greenhouse fire in blazing heat
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
A firefighter catches a bottle of water outside Oglevee Floral Co. in Dunbar Township Tuesday afternoon, after battling a greenhouse fire in 90 degree temperatures. The fire was contained to two or three greenhouses, where temperatures reached about 140 degrees before the fire began just before 1:30 p.m.
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
A fire at Oglevee Floral Co. in Dunbar Township caused between $30,000 and $50,000 in damages Tuesday afternoon. The fire started in a greenhouse where temperatures reached about 140 degrees.
Alyssa Choiniere | 缅北禁地
Connellsville Township Volunteer Fire Department safety officer Dick Oglevee (at right), who owned Oglevee Floral Co. before selling the building about five years ago, takes a break Tuesday afternoon after fighting the fire at his former business in blazing heat.
A Dunbar Township greenhouse caught fire Tuesday 鈥� the second greenhouse owned by the same family to catch fire within one year.
鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 think it鈥檚 possible,鈥� said John Cellurale, whose parents have owned the greenhouse for about five years. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 think the nightmare is going to happen a second time.鈥�
On Oct. 8, Cellurale Garden Center along Route 119 in Dunbar Township burned to the ground in a matter of minutes after the building was fully engulfed in flames within roughly 30 seconds.
Firefighters from multiple companies contained Tuesday鈥檚 fire at the former Oglevee Floral Co. in blazing heat Tuesday afternoon just before 1:30 p.m., with temperatures in the low 90s and reaching about 140 degrees in the greenhouse.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a testament to the hard work of the firefighters that it wasn鈥檛 any worse,鈥� Cellurale said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough about how good they are.鈥�
The greenhouse was temporarily closed for upgrades, and the damaged portion was not insured. He said it appeared to cause about $30,000 to $50,000 in damage.
Morrell Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Warren Morris said the fire was accidental. It appeared that a fan malfunctioned, causing temperatures to skyrocket in the greenhouse.
鈥淎 sunny day like this, no ventilation, it鈥檚 just gonna bake,鈥� Cellurale said. 鈥淎ny little piece of paper, a piece of plastic 鈥� that greenhouse is like a big heater.鈥�
Firefighters in their gear inside the greenhouse experienced temperatures of between 500 and 800 degrees while it was ablaze, said Morris.
鈥淣o one got hurt, thank God,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust a lot of tired firefighters.鈥�
Among those was Connellsville Township Safety Officer Richard 鈥淒ick鈥� Oglevee, who owned Oglevee Floral Co. before selling the greenhouse building to the Cellurale family.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like any other fire. You just take care of it,鈥� he said.
Oglevee was the first one on the scene after receiving a phone call as he was driving in the area.
鈥淲hat it was like? Hot,鈥� he said with a laugh.
A Fayette EMS rehab unit was on the scene. Firefighters dumped bottles of water on their heads and cooled off in the shade with a fan blowing mist. Morris said he called multiple fire departments and tankers to alleviate the strain on the hot day.
The fire was contained to about two or three greenhouses, Morris said.
鈥淚t was impeding the warehouse here, so that鈥檚 why we put a stop on it, so we wouldn鈥檛 lose the whole thing,鈥� he said.
The blaze Tuesday was the first Morrell fire department led without its chief, Ross Rock, who died Saturday.
鈥淚 just want everybody to know we really miss him,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淗e was a heck of a guy.鈥�