Waynesboro community reacts to Scotch Plywood mill fire

WAYNESBORO, Miss. (WDAM) - The Waynesboro community is reacting to a fire that destroyed the 50-year-old Scotch Plywood Company mill.

Waynesboro fire officials say the blaze that broke out about 6:30 Wednesday night did millions of dollars worth of damage.

No one was injured.

Fire officials don’t know what caused the fire, but they think it began in the southeast part of the building.

“We estimate approximately $20 million dollars worth of damage, could be a little more, could be less,” said Willard H. Crocker, chief of the Waynesboro Fire Department. “It’s a very high-tech industry, it’s not just cutting logs, it’s pretty high-tech.”

“It’s a tragedy, people lost their jobs, jobs are hard to come by, especially this time of the year,” said Wayne County resident Devante Smith.

Company officials have not commented on the fire so far.

The company website says the mill and a log yard were built in Waynesboro in 1969.

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