Granby’s loses buildings, equipment

The first firefighters on the scene of Thursday afternoon's fire at Granby's Greenhouse on Waupecan Road found a shed completely engulfed in flames. The fire also burned several vehicles and other equipment. (Photo courtesy of Chase Olson)

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VERONA – Thousands of dollars in equipment went up in smoke and flames Thursday during a blaze at Granby’s Greenhouse on Waupecan Road.

“It was probably one of our biggest fires,” Verona-Kinsman Fire Department Deputy Chief Nathan Feiner noted today.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, which consumed three buildings, two semi-trailer trucks, a farm tractor and two tractor mowers, greenhouse supplies, carts, a combine cornhead, cooling trays, other trays and pots. Another semi-trailer-truck was severely damaged by the flames.

About 100 firefighters and fire investigators from nearly 20 departments assisted in fighting the fire, which was reported to the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department at 4:04 p.m.

Feiner said the fire apparently originated in a tractor, then spread to the three storage buildings, plus a 500-pound LP storage tank and a 20- to 25-acre cornfield.

“Everybody was a little nervous,” he said of the LP tank. “But, it never blew up. We got lucky.”

Because of the number of buildings and equipment involved, Feiner said it was impossible to send firefighters into the cornfield to fight the flames there until later in the evening.
His was the last unit to leave the scene, pulling out at about 11 p.m.

“I had them order pizzas for the firefighters and delivered here,” Feiner said. “After the last department left, we went home and crashed out.”

Granby’s Greenhouse Inc., at 5850 W. Waupecan Road, Verona, has an estimated annual sales volume of $320,000.

Judy Granby is listed on the company profile as the president.

The three storage buildings involved in the blaze were owned by Gary Granby Jr. The equipment and other items stored inside were owned by his father, Gary Granby Sr. The two families live across the road from each other, Grundy County Sheriff Terry Marketti noted.

Marketti said Granby Sr., told Deputy Mark Sajnaj he had been using the tractor to plant flowers, and upon finishing, parked the vehicle in one of the three storage sheds.

“After about an hour, he noticed smoke coming from the building, and called the fire department,” Marketti said.

“He went to the building where the smoke originated, and noticed fire around the area where the tractor was parked.”

Marketti said smoke from the blaze was seen as far east as Illinois 47.

“It was towering black smoke,” said Feiner.

Most of the buildings containing flower plants were not touched by the flames.

“They got lucky,” Feiner said. “The blaze was on the dry storage site.”

The blaze rekindled earlier today, he noted, and will probably continue to do so the next couple days.

A spokesman for the greenhouse said at mid-morning today no one was available for comment because they were too busy.

Assisting the Verona-Kinsman firefighters were departments from Mazon, Seneca, Morris, Coal City, Gardner, Allen Township, Marseilles, Braceville, South Wilmington, Dwight, Minooka, Channahon, Braidwood, Grand Ridge, and Custer Park.

Also at the scene were MABAS fire investigators from Plainfield, Troy, Northwest Homer, Oswego, Gardner, and Braceville. The investigation into the blaze was continuing today, Feiner said.

A 15-year volunteer firefighter, with 10 of those years at the Channahon Fire Department, Feiner said the V-K Department has fought a tavern fire in Verona and four house fires in the past 18 months.

“Two houses were 100 percent destroyed, and the others were pretty good,” he said.

The greenhouse blaze was the second large fire Thursday in Grundy County.

The other was the morning blaze at Sponge Cushion Inc., in the 900 block of Armstrong Street, Morris.

Morris Fire Chief Bob Coleman said today the fire, which began in a production line that manufactures padding for carpets, caused about $50,000 in damages.

No injuries were reported in the Morris incident, either.