SP Newsprint estimates $1M in losses from fire

June 1, 2005
By Wayne Crenshaw
Telegraph Staff Writer

EAST DUBLIN - A warehouse fire at SP Newsprint over the weekend caused an estimated $1 million in damage, almost of all of it to scrap newspaper, plant officials said Tuesday.

Firefighters had the blaze isolated several hours after it started Saturday, but they continued fighting it through Monday. Roxie Lassetter, human resources manager at the plant, said the building itself suffered only minor damage. Most of the loss involved 8,400 tons of scrap newspaper.

The plant, which is the largest taxpayer in Laurens County, recycles scrap paper into newsprint.

Mark Rawlings, the senior vice president of operations, said the cause of the blaze is uncertain, but there are no indications of arson. One suspected cause is that a bale of paper might have already been smoldering when it came into the plant. The warehouse is isolated from the rest of the plant, and the fire did not affect operations.

Rawlings said the loss of scrap paper inventory will not impact production, and all deliveries to customers will go on as scheduled.

Dublin and East Dublin fire departments fought the blaze along with numerous volunteer departments, the plant's emergency response team, prison fire crews and volunteer crews from surrounding counties.

"We certainly want to acknowledge our emergency response team and all the local people who supported us," Rawlings said

SP Newsprint is partly owned by Knight Ridder, which owns The Telegraph.