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November 12, 2009

Former slaughterhouse burns in downtown Wellborn

By Carnell Hawthorne Jr., Reporter

A building once used as a slaughterhouse and icehouse nearly burned to the ground Wednesday night in downtown Wellborn.

The building located beside the vacant Jiffy Food Store, was engulfed in flames when a neighbor placed the call to 911 around 8 p.m., said Suwannee County Fire Chief Charlie Conner. The facility was used as a live-in workshop by Hank Whisnart.

Volunteer firefighters from the Wellborn Fire Department were some of the first to respond to the scene.

"When I came it was already fully involved," said Wellborn Fire Chief Tom Maynard.

"A semi driver came through flashing his lights and blowing his horn and got on his radio to alert us about the fire. The building was half-gone when we initially got started with it."

Before firefighters arrived, a neighbor had already rescued Whisnart's dog from the burning building, Maynard said.

Whisnart, who rents the building from the Wellborn Community Association, was away at the time.

"There was what seemed like gunpowder and bullet explosions going off when we arrived, Maynard said.

Conner said the noise sounded like small explosions, "possibly paint cans or an air compressor. There was all kinds of debris and objects flying across street," he said.

Firefighters were able to get the mini explosions under control before focusing their attention on the internal fire, Maynard said.

Several fire tankers were used to extinguish the flame. Oshkosh 6,000 gallon supertankers, a 5,000 and 2,500 gallon Wellborn tanker, and lighting trucks all aided in tackling the blaze. Nearly 30 career and volunteer firefighters worked the scene, Conner said.

In addition to the Wellborn Volunteer Department and Suwannee County Fire/Rescue, volunteer fire departments from Falmouth, McAlpin, the Ranchettes and Luraville all arrived to aid in the effort.

"Volunteers were the heroes here tonight," Conner said. "They came from all over the place and really stepped up to the plate to help out."

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