Fire destroys Banks County business, vehicles

ALTO – Extinguishing a Sunday-morning commercial fire on West Coker Road in northern Banks County proved difficult due to the building’s contents and a lack of public water supply in the area.

Coker Custom Floors was destroyed, along with its inventory and numerous vehicles, by the fire that was reported at 9:15 a.m., said Banks County Fire/EMS Chief Steve Nichols.

Units from Banks County Fire/EMS and the prison, with mutual aid from Baldwin Fire Department and Habersham County Emergency Services, responded to find the large commercial structure fully involved with fire, Nichols said.

Personnel from nearby Lee Arrendale State Prison Fire Department were the first to arrive.

Firefighters used a defensive operation and protected nearby exposures to prevent the spread of fire, Nichols said.

“The business was utilized as a family-owned commercial flooring company,” Nichols said. “Numerous chemical components, wood flooring, four vehicles, and a forklift were burned in the structure.”

The building is listed as a total loss, Nichols said, adding the business owners were able to get their construction trailer out of the building.

Nichols said about $80,000 worth of wood products inside the building were destroyed by the fire. 

“No fire hydrants are in the area and a water shuttle was established by the mutual aid units,” Nichols said. “Owners were home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation by Banks County Fire Department.

Units remained on scene for more than seven hours.

Firefighters from four departments work to extinguish a fire at Coker Custom Floors on West Coker Road in Banks County on Sunday.

Chemicals and wood products fuel the fire at Coker Custom Floors in Banks County on Sunday.

Flames consume the Coker Custom Floors building on West Coker Road near Alto Sunday morning.

Firefighters work to contain the fire that destroyed Coker Custom Floors, its contents and a number of vehicles near Alto Sunday.

Several destroyed vehicles can be seen in the still-burning debris of Coker Custom Floors in Banks County on Sunday.

The fire engine from nearby Lee Arrendale State Prison in Alto is shown at the scene of Sunday's fire on West Coker Road. LASP Fire Department was first on scene.

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