Fire-hit Daventry business begins clear-up

The furniture company whose building was struck by fire earlier this week has started the work of clearing up.
Damaged pieces of furniture on the mezzanine levelDamaged pieces of furniture on the mezzanine level
Damaged pieces of furniture on the mezzanine level

Workers at Home Joinery in Station close, Daventry, have started picking up the pieces after the fire that broke out in their workshop on Wednesday evening.

Owner John Barnstable said: “Myself and another worker were in the building at the time the fire started.

“An electrical fault started the fire on our mezzanine floor, which we used as our finishing area for the furniture.

John Barnstable clearing upJohn Barnstable clearing up
John Barnstable clearing up

“I raised the alarm, while my colleague emptied two and a half fire extinguishers onto it, but it didn’t make a difference.

“The fire spread fast – we obviously have a lot of wood and furniture there.

“The fire service were here in around 10 minutes – it felt like a lot longer.

“They did a fantastic job containing the fire and putting it out. They ensured it did not spread to the neighbouring units as well.

Damage in the finishing areaDamage in the finishing area
Damage in the finishing area

“The fire really damaged the upper level. The roof will have to be replaced after bits have buckled. The floorboards upstairs will need to be replaced, but the steel joists look like they’re okay.

“We need to have all our machines downstairs checked – there was a lot of smoke and of course water from the firefighters – but it does all look relatively okay.

“I think it will be a couple of weeks to get the roof sorted, and a couple more to get the workshop up and running again.

“The fire will have an impact on our work. There will be longer lead-times on certain things while we work to repair our workshop. But we will not be turning customers away – if people want to come and talk to us about items we will advise them on how long we think it’ll be to be able to deliver their items.”

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