The damage to Freeman & Sons Machine and Fabrication done by a fire Saturday night was still apparent Monday morning, with repair work to continue through the week. Damage had fortunately been contained to an upper, disused office area, and was put out quickly by fire fighters.
While costumed revelers celebrated Halloween Saturday night, fire fighters suited up and responded to a call on Case Avenue near the boatyard.
A pedestrian passing by Freeman & Sons Machine and Fabrication just before 11 p.m. noticed smoke coming from an upstairs office. They reported it to the bartender on duty across the street at Rayme's Bar, and the Volunteer Fire Department was called.
"They were here before I was," commented Randy Freeman, co-owner and manager of the machine shop. "They were right on it."
Chief Tim Buness of WVFD said fire fighters arrived soon after the call, gaining entry from below. "It was fairly heavy smoke when they made entry into the room," he recalled.
Flames were extinguished, and responders had wrapped up the operation by 12:45 a.m., Buness recounted.
It was unsure whether the fire was electrical in origin, but Freeman suspected it had begun at the floor level. A siding panel had been removed from the front of the shop and a window broken during the operation, with damage contained to the upper area. Freeman explained the ground floor machine shop and its equipment were spared any damage, and expressed his appreciation to the fire department for its quick response.
His parents first arrived in Wrangell in 1969, constructing the present machine shop in 1973. Freeman & Sons has continued since, with the house at the back added in 1977. Freeman's mother, Elodie, is still a partner in the business.
The damaged office has been out of use for some time, Freeman said. Finding a silver lining to the mishap, he thought it would be a good opportunity to convert the space into an apartment.
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