CUMBERLAND — An early Sunday morning fire destroyed an industrial storage building and contents at Corsa Coal Co.’s Casselman Mine in Grantsville, resulting in a property loss estimated at more than a million dollars, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Thirty volunteer firefighters directed by the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Company took 20 minutes to control the fire that was discovered around 4:20 a.m. by an employee checking the property at 865 Durst Road.
A review of video footage revealed the fire began in the 100-by-80-square foot storage building just before 3 a.m., officials said.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the fire marshal’s office. The investigation included assistance of K-9 Blondie, an accelerant detection dog. Such investigative teams are routinely used in fire investigations involving high dollar losses, according to the fire marshal’s office.
It was not known if the fire will affect operations at the site.
Somerset County-based Corsa, citing millions of dollars in debt, filed for Chapter 11 relief through federal bankruptcy court last week, saying the step was the only path to preserving jobs at the 300-employee company. About 100 people work at the Casselman Mine, according to the company’s website.