ELKINS — Multiple agencies were called to the scene of a fire early Wednesday evening at the Hamer Pellet Fuel Company plant, located in the Elkins Industrial Park.

The Elkins Volunteer Fire Department, Randolph County Emergency Squad and Elkins Police Department were first to arrive at the scene at approximately 3:53 p.m. Upon their arrival, heavy smoke could be seen coming from one of the backside portions of the plant.

An Elkins Emergency Squad unit reported an explosion during the extinguishing of the fire. and adding there were no injuries or entrapments from the blaze. 

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Elkins Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, along with fire departments from Belington, Beverly, Coalton and Buckhannon, assisted with the call. Belington and Beverly provided engine transfers for the Elkins Fire Department, which deployed all of its units to the scene.

Firefighters battled the fire for close to four hours, as the final unit departed the scene at approximately 7:42 p.m. Preliminary assessments are that the fire was electrical, but the official cause is being investigated by the state Fire Marshal.

In a little more than four years, the Hamer plant has had two fires, including Wednesday’s blaze. In March 2021, local fire departments were called to the plant for a fire that was determined to be electrical in nature.

Hamer Pellet Fuel manufacturers premium grade, low-ash pellets at its plant. It is the oldest residential pellet manufacturing company in the eastern United States, officials said. The company is family-owned, and was initially founded more than 25 years ago.