Three fire departments battle pallet blaze near Hewitt

Wood pallets at a local company caught fire just north of Hewitt on Tuesday evening, keeping fire crews from Hewitt, Waco and Woodway busy for at least two hours. The Hewitt Fire Department was the first to respond to the fire at Red Express Pallet Co., 7314 Bagby Ave., shortly before 6 p.m., said Hewitt Fire Chief Glen Arthur. The department soon called other agencies to help.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles. The nearest fire hydrant was on the opposite side of Bagby Avenue, and a fire hose blocked the road while firefighters doused the flames. The fire was contained around 7:30 p.m.

Hewitt Fire Chief Glen Arthur said he didn’t know what caused the fire but said foul play isn’t suspected. He said the fire didn’t start near the company’s wood-burning furnace and that he didn’t know if any buildings were damaged.

The company’s owner, Michael Janczak, said the pallets caught fire a few years ago in warm weather.

The pallets that burned were going to be recycled, he said. The business is to be open today, he said.