STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

NEWS RELEASE

CASE#: 20A104758

RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME:  Det. Sgt. Matthew Hill                            

STATION: Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit                     

CONTACT#: (802)-878-7111

DATE/TIME: 11/23/2020 @ 1615 hours

INCIDENT LOCATION: 

Cyr Lumber

215 Poor Farm Road Milton, VT

VIOLATION: Fire Investigation 

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:

On November 23, 2020 at approximately 1615 hours the Milton Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire in the sawmill at Cyr Lumber located at 215 Poor Farm Road.  The sawmill operator noticed the fire and attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers.  First responding fire fighters arrived to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the main building of the lumber mill.  The Milton Fire Department requested assistance from several area fire departments including Colchester, Westford, Essex, Georgia, and St Albans Town.  The fire was extinguished only after the building sustained extensive damage.  As part of fire Chief Poirier's origin and cause examination he requested the assistance of the VT Department of Public Safety Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.

On November 24, 2020 members of the fire investigation unit began the fire scene examination.  During that examination it was determined that the fire began inside the building while logs were being processed into lumber.  The fire began when an electric motor attached to the sawmill carriage failed and ignited nearby combustible material and liquids.  The fire spread quickly into the roof structure and along the length of the building.     

There were no injuries reported during this fire event to the employees of Cyr Lumber, the responding fire fighters, or the investigation team.  The building and its contents are a total loss estimated to be in excess of 1.25 million dollars.