SPRING GROVE, Pa. — Smoke filled the skies of Spring Grove, York County Sunday after a three-alarm fire broke out at the Pixelle Specialty Solutions Paper Mill.
Spring Grove Fire Chief Garrett Strouse said the fire started around 11:45 a.m., prompting a response from 17 departments and more than 80 firefighters.
"It was intensive because it was on the roof of a four-story building," Stouse said. "All the personnel involved with the hose, getting to the top and the manpower while on the roof was needed."
The fire was originally contained at 3:20 p.m. However, it rekindled shortly after and was extinguished around 5 p.m.
Strouse also says two firefighters were transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, and were expected to be released.
Colton James lives just down the road and was at work as the situation unfolded this morning.
"I had to drive to come home and they had the road blocked off," he said. "Then, coming down there's just a line of fire trucks outside our house."
Colton and his mom say the factory, which has been around since the 1800s, is a big part of the community.
"It's pretty important," Ariane James said. "A lot of the people that live in town work there."
In a Facebook post Pixelle Specialty Solutions, which operates the mill, said the fire occurred at the facility's hardwood digester.
The company later released a statement that reads in part:
“On Sunday, February 25, 2024, Pixelle Specialty Solutions experienced a fire at our Spring Grove Plant. The safety and well-being of our employees and the community are our top priorities, and we are relieved to report that no Pixelle personnel were injured.
We want to extend our deep gratitude to the first responders from our community and neighboring counties who answered the call and who worked swiftly and tirelessly to put out the blaze.
Our current focus is on supporting our team while we assess the impact of the fire on our operations.
We appreciate the outpouring of support and the dedication of our employees. Updates will be provided as we gather more information.”
Both Ariane and Colton say they're shocked this would happen to a staple of their town.
"It is Spring Grove," Ariane said. "It kind of defines the town, it's been here forever."