Police suspect arson in Graniteville fire

AIKEN --- Police say they believe an early-morning fire Wednesday at a Graniteville paper-products warehouse is arson.

The fire at Genco Distributions Systems -- a subcontractor of Kimberly-Clark in the 1000 block of Global Avenue -- set off an alarm about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Graniteville firefighters found a 40-foot-by-40-foot area of Kleenex, toilet tissue and diapers on fire, said Phil Napier, the chief of the Graniteville-Vaucluse-Warrenville Volunteer Fire Department.

He said the fire didn't appear to be accidental, so firefighters turned the case over to police. Chief Napier said it took a couple of hours to bring the fire under control and it wasn't extinguished until 5 a.m. Two holes punched in the roof to vent smoke was the only structural damage to the plant, he said.

The chief said about 50 workers were evacuated with no injuries. Chief Napier said a plant official told him that, with products ruined by fire and water from sprinkler systems and lost production time, the damage could reach $1 million.

A worker who answered the phone at the plant Wednesday said no one could comment on the fire.

Aiken County sheriff's Sgt. Dave Myers said Wednesday afternoon that his office is conducting the criminal investigation and that no suspect had been named.

Anyone with information is asked to call Aiken County sheriff's Investigator James Criscillis at (800) 922-9709 or Crime Stoppers of the Midlands at (888) 599-TIPS.

Reach Preston Sparks at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.