Sawmill destroyed

Fire strikes Watchtower Farms

By Connor Linskey
Posted 3/3/21

Firefighters from 13 departments and eight towns spent Friday afternoon extinguishing a fire that destroyed Watchtower Farms’ sawmill in the Town of Shawangunk.

According to the …

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Sawmill destroyed

Fire strikes Watchtower Farms

Posted

Firefighters from 13 departments and eight towns spent Friday afternoon extinguishing a fire that destroyed Watchtower Farms’ sawmill in the Town of Shawangunk.

According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who own and operate the farm, a plume of smoke was reported just after 12:30 p.m. northeast of the main complex of Watchtower Farms. Watchtower Farms fire personnel investigated and immediately called 911. It was discovered that the smoke was coming from Watchtower’s remote sawmill used for wood processing and storage in the denomination’s agricultural operation, which is located approximately one mile from the farm’s main office and residential complex. No one was working at the sawmill at the time of the fire.

Upon arrival on the scene at 12:33 p.m., Watchtower fire response personnel worked to contain the fire while waiting for local community departments to arrive. The fire quickly consumed the structure and materials stored at the site. The first community fire company arrived at 12:48 p.m. With the assistance of several community fire departments who responded quickly and with full force, the fire was contained.

“We express our deepest appreciation to the local community departments who quickly responded to this emergency,” the Jehovah’s Witnesses said in a statement issued to the Wallkill Valley Times.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses reported that the fire caused no injuries to people or livestock. They also noted that all Watchtower Farms personnel have been accounted for.

The denomination stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are saddened by the loss of their sawmill. The facility dates back to the 1960s and has been used to support the operations of Watchtower Farms and other Watchtower facilities in the Town of Shawangunk.