TUSCARORA -- A tower of thick black smoke spiraled into the sky as flames swept through a factory in Tuscarora.
"Pretty frightening, it is definitely the biggest fire I have ever seen, and it's the biggest fire in Tuscarora history," said Jared Klinger of Tuscarora.
Fire companies from across Schuylkill County had to navigate snowy roads to get to Material Dynamics, a company that works with wax and resin.
Neighbors watched in disbelief as crews poured on water and foam for hours. While firefighters did not order anyone to leave their homes, some folks decided they wanted to get out of the fire's way.
Klinger added, "I left the house because when it first started the wind was blowing towards my house, and you could actually smell the stuff in it, so I left the house on account of inhaling the fumes."
The fire chief tells Newswatch16 that because there were industrial materials inside the burning building and a stream behind it, they have to be cautious about how much water and foam they pour on.
The owners of say that business had been so good that they were about to hire three more people.
"This cleanup alone will be exhausting and time-consuming. So I can't say anything more at the moment, we are just dumbfounded," said Ben Verta, co-owner of Material Dynamics.
Now, they have no idea what the future holds for themselves or their workers.
"It was a good burgeoning business. It has a lot of potential, but we don't have a clue if there is even a pipe wrench to work with again from here," added Verta.
One woman lives right next door to the facility which used to be a sewing mill. She hoped the fire would not reach her property.
"The business looked like it really picked up. They have been doing a lot of work down there. I feel very badly for the employees," said Michele Feathers of Tuscarora.
There is no word yet on the cause of this fire or whether the snow could have been a factor.
Around a half a dozen people worked here. Since the business was destroyed, there's no telling if or when they'll get their jobs back.
