Fire and heavy smoke at Webster Engineering and Manufacturing Co. Sunday is thought to have caused at least $1 million in damage to the building and its contents, according to Winfield Fire Marshal Alan Stoll.
"I think we’re looking at well over a million dollars in damage," he said, as he exited the burned building just before midnight. "There’s a large portion of the building that sustained extensive damage."
Stoll said he thought the building and items inside it had an approximate total value of $3.5 million.
A regional arson team was to arrive Monday for additional investigation, though foul play is not suspected so far, Stoll said. No official cause for the fire has been determined.
"I’d just like to have some extra sets of eyes on the scene," Stoll said. "To make sure we’re all seeing the same type of things."
The blaze was noticed around 10:30 a.m and fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from inside the building. It was 1 p.m before the fire was deemed under control.
Crews spent time after that snuffing hot spots and securing the building. Webster has been in Winfield since the late 70s and because of its age, was not required to have a fire sprinkler system.
The company produces burners for use in industrial settings.
Investigators so far have focused on the central portion of the Webster building, as a point of origin for the blaze. The metal building contains a wooden mezzanine-type area in the center where two floors of offices are located. Office space and some areas for welding and fabrication were the most damaged by fire.
Other areas of the building, which Stoll described as "bigger than it looks," were mostly undamaged and could likely be utilized when power is restored and the building is determined to be safe for occupancy.
Stoll said much of the company’s large equipment appeared salvageable.
Fire investigators expect to wrap their investigation by Monday evening, at which time Webster management could begin work to reopen.
City officials have already reached out to Webster executives in regard to providing assistance as the company moves forward, city manager Warren Porter said Monday morning.
The city and Webster officials were scheduled to meet and discuss options later in the day.
"It’s really early to know too much," Porter said. "But we’ve reached out and offered any immediate assistance that we can. But mostly we’ll just have to wait and see what happens."
County officials also have contacted the state about any recovery program that might help Webster employees and the company get started again.
