LAWTEY, Fla. (WCJB) – Bradford County Fire Rescue battled a large fire at a sawmill in Lawtey early Monday morning.
According to BCFR, firefighters were called to Tatum Brothers Sawmill at the 22000 block of NW County Road 200A after reports of a large fire. Clay County Fire Rescue is also assisting at the scene.
“Look, these boys are like family,” John Tatum, the vice president of Tatum Brothers Lumber Company, shared. “I went to school for half of their daddies, I went to school with them, you know it’s a small community and they’re more important to me than the shed is.”
All Tatum can think about while watching his building burn is his employees.
“Some of the boys have been working for me 25, 30 years they’ll be alright we’ll keep them working.”
No one was hurt during the Monday morning fire, which Tatum says he thinks was caused by an electrical issue.
“All the debris, everything is wood, so it lays there and we clean constantly trying to keep the fire hazard down but you never get away from it.”
Tatum tells TV20 that his family’s been in this industry for generations, and with every fire, they just rebuild and hope for the best.”
In 2018, the sawmill was engulfed in a mechanical fire.
“It’s going to take awhile to clean things up and then we’ll have to start back the rebuilding process unfortunately, this isn’t the first time we’ve had to do this.”
Despite having to endure multiple fires, Tatum remains positive.
“Hopefully, this won’t set us back too bad. It’s certainly a slap in the face, but you have to take the bad with the good.”
Firefighters were able to put out fire and no injuries were reported.
Fire accidents can cause devastating injuries and significant property damage, leaving victims overwhelmed and uncertain about their future. At Ovadia Law Group, we specialize in handling fire accident cases and are dedicated to providing compassionate and effective legal representation. Our experienced attorneys will thoroughly investigate the incident, gather evidence, and work tirelessly to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. We understand the complexities involved in these cases and will guide you through every step of the legal process. Don’t face this challenging time alone—call us at 1-800-674-9396 for a free consultation and let us help you on your path to recovery.
source: wcjb
