HERMON, Maine — While the cause
of a massive Friday night fire that gutted a wholesale florist’s
warehouse may never be known, the flower seller was back
in business Monday ready to serve far-flung customers.
“It’s been a pretty rough three days, but we’re
back on our feet,” said Alex Bennett, whose father,
Robert, is the owner of Robert J. Bennett Wholesale Florist.
“We’re open for business and ready to serve
all our customers.”
Alex Bennett said the move to the new warehouse on Dowd
Road, not far from the burned-out Odlin Road site, was completed
Monday afternoon.
The business serves retail florists throughout eastern Maine
with flowers and hard goods such as vases, foam blocks for
making floral arrangements, ribbons and other paraphernalia.
Bennett said the new warehouse is ready to sell flowers
this week while hard goods will be available next week.
Owner Robert Bennett said Friday his father started the
wholesale florist business 40 years ago and moved it to
the Odlin Road site about 15 years ago. The building is
insured, he said, but did not give a dollar amount for his
losses.
Meanwhile, an investigator for the State Fire Marshal’s
Office said Monday that the cause of Friday night’s
fire remains unknown.
“It is undetermined due to the extent of damage,”
said Sgt. Tim York. Where the fire started “is undetermined
as well,” he said.
The fire was reported to 911 dispatchers around 4:30 p.m.
Friday, nearly an hour after employees had left for the
day.
Eion Pelletier, a Hermon firefighter-EMT who served as the
scene commander, said the steel structure created something
akin to an enormous oven, burning everything inside.
The building was in flames when fire crews arrived, he said,
and there was little they could do except keep the blaze
from spreading to nearby woods.
Black smoke could be seen miles away on Friday billowing
from the warehouse and at times flames were visible shooting
30 to 40 feet into the air.
Firefighters from Hermon, Levant, Newburgh, Glenburn, Carmel,
Hampden and Bangor fought the blaze, and a Maine Air Guard
tanker was on hand to provide water. No injuries were reported.
Investigators were at the scene Friday and returned Saturday,
York said.
“We’re all done,” he said Monday. “Our
investigation is complete.”
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