A trash pile fire at Bludworth Marine on Childers Road sent heavy black smoke northward along the Sabine River Tuesday afternoon. No injuries have been reported.
The shipyard is at the end of Childers Road off DuPont Drive near the Port of Orange offices and Akrotex.
Orange Fire Chief David Frenzel said the company had a large trash pile. A separate burn pile was nearby and employees set fire to the burn pile. Strong south winds blew the fire into the trash pile. The National Weather Service station in Orange reports the winds were blowing about 18 miles per hour with gusts up to 26 mph about 1:30, when the fire started.
Items in the trash pile ranged from wood, metal, plastic and other materials. The site was formerly Weaver Shipbuilding, which dated back to 1897.
Bludworth Marine is outside the Orange city limits, but the city has an industrial district contract to provide fire protection service. The Orange Fire Department asked for help from the rural emergency services districts because they have tanker trucks to bring water to a fire. Frenzel said the city’s water lines and fire hydrants stop at Akrotex. One tanker came from South Newton County.
Orange firefighters contained the fire until the tanker trucks arrived, he said. Once the tanker trucks came, the fire was put out.
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