davidFISHER
According to McKenzie Fire Chief Brian Tucker, at 9:58 a.m., on Thursday, a structure fire was reported inside a building adjacent to the old Gaines Manufacturing complex, located at 15440 Highland Drive in McKenzie.
Firefighters responded to the scene with a fire engine and a ladder truck. When they arrived, smoke was coming out of the building, located to the left of the old Gaines Manufacturing complex.
“There were homeless individuals living in a tent set up inside the structure,” Chief Tucker said.
The building was previously used as a wood shop for the former furniture manufacturing plant.
“They had taken some of the scraps they found and built a fire to keep warm,” the chief said. “It smoked up the building quite a bit, and was a pretty sizeable fire, but the firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.”
Chief Tucker pointed out the building is constructed with concrete blocks, so the former plant was not destroyed by the fire.
