Employees at a wholesale furniture warehouse in Commerce returned to work Wednesday after a fire forced them from the building and shut down operations.
Banks County firefighters responded to the blaze at Noviland International at 100 Pottery Road around 12:46 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3.
Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols says crews arrived to find a large area of merchandise and outdoor furniture on fire. The fire was spreading to three buildings on either side of the main building and had already extended into each building.
Firefighters immediately deployed lines to stop the fire from spreading further into the buildings. They evacuated employees to a safe area. Crews used additional lines and ladder trucks to extinguish the flames.
While the fire was contained within the structures, all three buildings sustained moderate to heavy damage. The merchandise and outside inventory were destroyed.
Fire departments from Commerce, Bold Springs, Jackson County CI, and LACI provided mutual aid. Units remained on the scene for more than six hours.
The Banks County Fire Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.
