Brownwood Fire Department battled a fire at Janie Clements Industries early Tuesday morning.
According to Center for Life Resources staff who were on scene, a Brownwood Police Officer on patrol noticed very heavy smoke coming from the facility and reported the fire around 4 a.m. this morning.
Brownwood Fire Department arrived to find BPD officers along with Brown County Sheriff’s Office deputies at the scene, keeping the area blocked off. Approximately 25 firefighters worked to put out the fire, including two shifts of BFD firefighters and several Early Volunteer firemen who came to assist, according to Fire Marshal Buddy Preston.
Firefighters were still trying to remove smoke from the damaged building with large exhaust fans at 10:00 a.m. Brownwood Fire Chief Del Albright explained that it is often difficult to remove smoke from metal buildings. He stated that there was extensive smoke, fire and water damage throughout the building’s office and warehouse areas.
Albright stated that although the cause of the fire had not been determined, some “hot spots” have been identified and the origin of the fire has been narrowed down to one area. Preston confirmed that he had not determined the cause; however, all indications at this point in time point to an accidental fire.
Preston stated that the Center for Life Resources employs their clients to perform work for multiple projects, mostly assembling packages of nuts, bolts and washers used to assemble products such as toilets for Kohler and similar projects for other companies.
Center for Life Resources Chief Executive Officer Dion White stated that Janie Clements Industries (JCI), through Center for Life Resources has several contracts with factories which their clients, many with physical and mental handicaps, fulfill.
“We will be working to minimize downtime to get these folks back to work,” said White. “These things happen in life; it’s just how you react to it. We’re hoping to find another location soon and be back to work.”
White stated that things could have been much worse. He explained that had the fire happened during the day, even late in the afternoon, it would have been worse, due to some of JCI’s 75 employees using wheelchairs and walkers along with some that have mental handicaps that could have cause some pandemonium and possible loss of life.
“The building is just a tool that we use, but the good news is that the workers are still here. We can replace tools, but not lives,” White stated. “We are going to come up like the phoenix out of the fire and on the other end, be stronger.”
White stated that many of the clients Center for Life Resources serves and JCI employs do not have family and that the staff of Center for Life Resources fill that void, like family.
“We’re family first, not just with the staff, but with the people we work with,” said White. “We have residential homes for our clients and take that with great responsibility, caring for them as if they are our own.”
White explained that he and his staff were “wired” to help people and this is how they are able to stay calm during this loss, stating that the building is just material, their work is about people.
Pictured above is the exterior of the JCI building and below, the damaged interior.
