Update on industrial building fire in Ringgold

RINGGOLD, Georgia(WDEF) – Investigators are looking into what sparked an early morning industrial fire at a construction equipment company.

According to Catoosa County Fire Chief Chuck Nichols, a fire ignited inside the Mashburn Equipment Building shortly after 4 AM.

"The first fire companies here encountered pretty heavy fire involvement in a portion of the building. They initiated a fire attack and we requested a second alarm assignment," Nichols said.

It took a total of nine fire companies from Catoosa and Walker Counties along with East Ridge, Rossville and Tri-Community Fire Departments to put out the blaze. Authorities told WDEF the flames were intensified by what was inside the building.

"It was loaded with heavy equipment and the fuels and the lubricants that go with the operation of those types of machinery," Nichols said.

Mashburn Equipment sales and rents that equipment to construction companies. But the building was not open for business when the fire ignited.

Many Mashburn employees showed up to work around 6AM only to find the area blocked off by authorities. Neither employees or executives at the building would talk about what may have sparked the blaze.

Hours after the fire was put out, a restoration employee told WDEF the damage is extensive. That person also said it appears that a large boat on the other side of the building was destroyed by the blaze.

No injuries were reported.