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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) — Efforts to clean up following a massive fire at a former furniture factory in Jamestown have hit a snag.
Jamestown’s Department of Development Director Crystal Surdyk told city council members on Monday night that the massive blaze contained many toxic materials. As a result, cleanup efforts are delayed.
Other factory fires, like the Jamestown Royal Factory at 308 Crescent Street last year, took almost $400,000 dollars to fully clean up. This structure however, is close to three times larger.
The factory itself was not insured but, Surdyk is working alongside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to receive help, and funding to properly clean up.
“As we get solid answers from EPA, there’s not a formal commitment from them yet,” explained Surdyk. “But we have been in conversation with them. And when I reached out to them a year and a half ago, I hate to say it was in anticipation, but in anticipation that something catastrophic like this could happen. Simply because of the condition of the building and because of the number of incidents that we were aware of, for vandalism, and theft, and a lot of activity there.”
At this time there has been no official cause as to what sparked the massive blaze. Surdyk promised to take full legal action against the building’s owner, holding them responsible for years of neglect.
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