Larry Lewark, the business owner, said he was told by fire officials that the fire started in the locker room of the business.
“I got a call this morning that said the motion detectors were going off,” Lewark said of how he found out about the fire. “I was coming down here and on the way down, they called me and said they dispatched the fire truck ‘cause I had a fire alarm. When I came in, the whole front of the building was engulfed.”
The fire was contained to the office area, Lynch said.
Firefighters were on the scene when Lewark arrived. All he could do was watch them put out the flames as family and friends surrounded him.
It took firefighters approximately 40 minutes to get the fire under control.
“It’s like losing a family member,” Lewark said as he watched firefighters hose down his damaged business. “It’s part of the family. This is what my wife, children, friends... this is all we have done for 20 years.”
The sheet metal manufacturing business, which employs approximately 50 employees, has operated at the Keenan address since January of 2007, Lewark said.
Fire officials started inspections on the structure after the bulk of the fire had been knocked down.
Employees were back in the building this afternoon and the business will be open tomorrow. The office was moved to the back of the building, and the workshop space was unaffected by the fire.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or kwynn@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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