Pocono News Section

Strong Industries Owner Hopes to Open in 2 Weeks

Strong Industries Owner Hopes to Open in 2 Weeks - Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:25PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 @ 05:25pm EST
POINT TWP., NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY- The owner of a spa business that burned Monday in Northumberland County, hopes to reopen in two weeks. That news came Tuesday, as a state police fire marshal looked for the cause of the blaze at strong industries.

A fire marshal says the official cause of the blaze is undetermined, but the owner thinks he knows. He says a worker who was sneaking a cigarette outside is to blame. The owner says the cigarette was thrown into a cardboard dumpster and the flames spread from there.

24 hours after flames damaged strong industries in point township we got our first look inside the spa manufacturer Tuesday.

While there's a lot of water and smoke damage, a majority of the equipment is still intact. Strong Industries worker Rob Bates said, "One half side of the plant is in pretty decent shape, but the other half is totally shot."

Bates has worked at the facility for 10 years. He's happy to know the owner will reopen. "The way the economy is right now, at least we have jobs for people. That’s the important thing right now," said Bates.

Fire officials say the blaze started outside the business and spread because of gusty winds.

Sprinklers and fire walls helped prevent total ruin inside.

Strong Industries Owner Wade Spicer said, "Everything can be fixed and we hope to have the main operating line running within two weeks and back to normal -- or better than new -- in about a month."

Company officials say Monday's fire came at the worst possible time. This is their busiest season. A lot of the 100 spas that had already been made can't be sold.

Workers plan to work around-the-clock, including weekends, to get everything back to normal. And they're upset that one of their own may have started the blaze.

No smoking signs are clearly posted. "We have a no smoking policy for a reason and people sneaking cigarettes -- just cost several million dollars in damage," added Spicer.

Spicer says he doesn't expect to find the worker who may have been outside smoking. But he says if he does, he'll want charges to be filed.