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Skipjack News
| Fire Heavily Damages Orchid Greenhouse On UMES Campus |
PRINCESS ANNE, MD. - (Nov. 27, 2011) - A fire of unknown origin heavily damaged a commercial greenhouse Sunday on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus that is leased by a private company to grow orchids.
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Leon J. Bivens, UMES' physical plant director who lives nearby, saw smoke coming from the structure on the east side of campus as he was driving casually through campus around 2:40 p.m. Sunday. After calling 9-1-1 to report what he discovered and then contacting campus security, Bivens circled the building to see if anyone was inside.
Bivens said two employees of U.S. Orchid Laboratory and Nursery Inc. were in a warehouse-type office building adjacent to the greenhouse and apparently were unaware a fire might be spreading through the complex.
Six volunteer fire companies responded to the blaze: Princess Anne, Mt. Vernon, Fairmount, Deal Island, Allen and Crisfield. Crisfield and Princess Anne dispatched two large extension ladder trucks so firefighters could contain the fire by spraying water on the roof.
"We're very fortunate there were no injuries," said Ronnie Holden, vice president for administrative affairs. "We want to thank all those volunteer firefighters who came so quickly and put out the fire. It's impressive to watch them do their job in such a professional and efficient manner."
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Links
http://www.umes.edu/PR/Article.aspx?id=37638 |
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