Multiple area fire departments were called Thursday night to a blaze that consumed a building at a Licking manufacturer.
Area volunteer departments were dispatched at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday after a building at Ozark Shavings was reported fully engulfed, authorities said. They remained on the scene late Thursday.
The business manufactures wood shavings used primarily in the animal industry. It is located on Staples Lane off West Highway 32 in Licking. The product is placed in plastic bags and distributed through retailers.
An employee said a sprinkler system was quickly deployed, but the fire spread fast. Firemen concentrated their efforts on the northeast side of the building. The plant is located just east of the South Central Correctional Center.
Departments from several communities, including Houston city, Houston rural, Licking, Raymondville and Edgar Springs were called in sweltering heat. Houston firemen used an aerial truck to help contain the blaze. It was situated south of the plant and connected to a city fire hydrant a short distance away. Tanker trucks ferried in and out of the property to pick up water. Firemen were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to other nearby structures.
Officers with the Licking Police Department and Texas County Sheriff’s Department were on the scene. There were no report of injuries.
Departments have been called over the years to the business that has sustained fires due to the combustible nature of the product. The most serious of those occurred in 2011.
A principal in the company is Tony Parks, who is a Houston resident. An ancillary business makes utility poles.