Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

BELVEDERE S.C. -- Crews are keeping a close eye on flames that started ripping through the old Clearwater Finishing Plant around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters have been on the scene since last night to monitor those flames. They let the building burn but will be careful to keep all of the flames contained in the plant. Right now, the walls of the building are still standing, but nearly everything inside is destroyed.

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office has said the fire is suspicious and is under investigation. So far, a cause has not been determined.

Belvedere Clearwater Road was shut down for hours between Highway 421 and Highway 1, but has partially reopened. It is still closed right in front of the mill where the fire truck is. Drivers going toward Highway 421 on Highway 126 are being redirected through Elm Street.

Emergency crews tell us the fire is not posing any harm to the public. We're told all of the chemicals that were inside the mill were taken out when the building started undergoing renovations. Crews originally went inside the building to fight the fire but decided it was too dangerous to enter.

There were reports of explosions being felt as far away as Langley and Gloverville Tuesday night. Investigators tell News 12 none of the blasts came from chemicals or residue. It is believed construction equipment inside the building may have been the source of those explosions. A fork lift is thought to be the source of at least one of the blasts.

Officials tell us contractors had a lot of lumber inside the building, which is fueling the flames. There was also material inside that we're told contractors were planning to sell.

News 12 spoke with State Rep. Roland Smith. He worked at the Belvedere Clearwater Plant for 14 years as a printer and says hearing of the fire was sad news to him. He tells us he toured the plant two days ago with the new owners. Those owners planned to revitalize the plant to turn it into an assisted living facility. They were planning to associate historic parts of the mill with that assisted living center.

Owners were trying to environmentally remediate the building. They were working with DHEC to legally move harmful chemicals from inside. Rep. Smith tells us they have removed all of those except for a little asbestos. Still, officials tell us there is no reason to be concerned.

There is a history of fires at the plant. In April of 2008, it caught fire and burned for hours. News 12 reported a total of nine fires in between 1992 and 1997. There was another in 1999 and again in 2007.

Many people say Clearwater will certainly look much different, as the plant has been around for decades. It operated as a textile mill when it opened in 1929. About 60 years later the owner filed for bankruptcy and it closed. The building became and environmental hazard that prompted the EPA to set up a fund. That agency was worried about nearby natural springs. Private investors bought the plant in 2007 with plans to build a light industrial complex, but different owners bought the plant in 2011 with the latest plans to renovate the area into a residential building.

The owners of the mill released this statement:
"Clearwater Mill caught fire the evening of Jan. 31, 2012, and is being investigated by authorities currently. No persons were injured in the fire that took place on the property. The entire site has already been cleaned of all environmental hazards. The deconstruction of the buildings will continue and the plans for redevelopment of the site remain unchanged by this event. Christian Morton and Dockery Group in conjunction with Aiken County will continue to work together to provide a quality development."