Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fire Melts Gurdon's M&M

M&M Enterprises was destroyed by fire Saturday, Jan. 27, with the cause of the blaze unknown.

Gurdon Fire Chief Jake McBride said the Gurdon Fire Department was notified around 1:30 a.m., with three companies of firefighters responding.

Firemen fought the blaze from seven to 10 hours before getting it under control. However four days later, the site was still smouldering.

Arkansas State Fire Marshal Hays McWhirter said the Arkansas State Police are investigating the incident, but arson isn't suspected.

He said the call came in around 1:35 a.m., and he arrived around 7:30 Saturday morning. When he got there the fire was still burning.

"There's no doubt it started inside the building," McWhirter said.

The blaze burned out of the north and south walls, catching some grass on fire.

McWhirter talked with several M&M employees, who said there was a problem with conduit on the southwest side of the building on the inside near the bathroom.

The employees, he said, stated the conduit would spark when bumped. "I know we had an electrical problem there," McWhirter said.

The supervisor was supposed to tel Mike McKenzie, one of the company owners, but apparently didn't.

Employees claimed, McWhirter said, they could smell smoke Friday, but couldn't find where it was coming from. A glue pot was unplugged in the building to make sure it wasn't on fire.

One employee said they had seen a flash in the building a couple of weeks before the fire, McWhirter said.

With the building burning the way it did, McWhirter said, there is little to be learned from the remains. But, he added, there is nothing to indicate arson is a possibility.

The plant was working seven days a week as this was the busiest time of year for the company.

M&M Enterprises made Ficus trees for Wal-Mart.

The building was owned by Enisco, of Pennsylvania, McWhirter said, and was built sometime in the 1970s.

H&P Sales, of Alto, California, furnished materials for the Ficus trees, with them being assembled in Gurdon.

McKenzie and David Miller had the lease on the building, and own the old Gurdon High School facility where they were storing finished trees and other materials.

McWhirter said McKenzie had content insurance on the building, with H&P Sales having its portion insured as well.