Fire strikes Warren County Nursery

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Volunteer firefighters battle the Wednesday night blaze that consumed a large garage at Warren County Nursery. (Margaret Hobbs photo)

Fire consumed buildings and machinery at Warren County Nursery Wednesday night as two fire departments fought the stubborn blaze early into the morning.

Damage is estimated well into the tens of thousands of dollars from the blaze which completely destroyed a large garage and shop on the grounds of the nursery located off Highway 56 South in Irving College. The nursery, owned by the Hobbs family, has been in operation since 1950.

It was an employee who spotted flames pouring from the building around 10 p.m. Wednesday. The structure was fully engulfed when Collins River volunteer firemen arrived. They, along with firemen from Harrison Ferry Fire Department, battled the flames until the pre-dawn hours. In addition to the buildings, three tractors were total losses as were countless tools from the shop area. Several pieces of heavy equipment were pulled from the flaming structure and saved before it collapsed to the ground.

Work by firemen also prevented the explosion of a nearly full diesel tank located near the blaze. The remaining buildings, including the main offices of Warren County Nursery along with the nursery’s stock, escaped damage, meaning the nursery will remain open. The cause of the blaze is not known.