Fire at Manchester lumber company causes $1.5 million in damage

MANCHESTER - An early morning fire in downtown Manchester caused more than $1.5 million dollars in damage to a lumber company.

The fire was reported at about 5:30 a.m. at Hutchison Lumber Products Saturday morning.  Four fire departments were called into assist.  The fire destroyed the company's truck repair shop that housed nine semis.

The company says it employs about fifty people.  Bob Manson was one of the Manchester firefighter's on scene.  He's also an employee at Hutchinson.  He says he wasn't expecting that kind of call this Christmas morning.

“Going to bed last night I thought we'd done well, didn't have medical calls no fire calls that I knew of by eleven o'clock,” said Manson.  “I thought it might be a good day.”

Manson called the fire devastating for the company and its employees.

A cause is not yet known, the fire department reported no injuries.