Five-alarm fire at Sheldon mill Written By Leon Thompson Monday, August 17, 2009 Cause of Sunday blaze unclear     SHELDON –– Details were still sketchy this morning about a five-alarm fire that reportedly caused extensive damage to one of Franklin County’s major employers.     Fire broke out at the RockTenn Missisquoi Mill in Sheldon just after midnight Sunday. Reportedly, flames were shooting through the roof of the building when firefighters arrived.     About 100 firefighters from Sheldon, Enosburg, St. Albans Town, Swanton, and Highgate responded to the scene and spent most of the night battling the blaze. Swanton firemen were not released from the scene until 7 a.m. Sunday, according to Peter Prouty, Swanton fire chief.     Sheldon Fire Chief Richard Piaseczny could not be reached for updated information this morning. There was speculation that he and other fire officials were meeting again at the scene early today. “We were having a difficult time putting out the fire due to construction of the building, the size of the building and the route the fire traveled through the building,” Piaseczny said at the scene of the fire. Reportedly, flames traveled through the ventilation system of the Sheldon plant. The cause is still unknown. RockTenn, based in Norcross, Ga., produces paperboard for packaging and employs about 150 workers in Sheldon. Administrative staff was answering phones today, but it was still uncertain whether the company was operating full shifts, or how the fire effected immediate business. Officials at the Sheldon plant referred the Messenger to RockTenn Treasurer John Stakel at the company’s home office in Georgia for more information about the fire and the local impact. He, too, was unavailable for comment. RockTenn purchased the former Missisquoi Pulp Mill – which saw numerous owners since it opened in the late 1800s – in 1991. RockTenn has also received numerous awards from the Franklin-Grand Isle United Way for its aggressive employee campaigns, and most recently, this June, for its good working relationship with the Vermont National Guard.

Reader Comments