Multiple fire departments have been called to the scene of a major, catastrophic fire at furniture maker Ameriwood Industries in downtown Dowagiac tonight.
Due to the massive fire which could be seen in the night sky for well over a mile away, the third shift tonight and first shift Monday morning operations have been canceled, and the lasting impact could run beyond those time frames as the fire was still burning freely two hours after it was first called in.
The image shared here is a screen capture from the team at IT3 Computer, Networking, Security at AllWebInfused, which has live cameras in multiple communities across the region. Hundreds of people were watching the live camera feed as the fire burned in Dowagiac.
Ameriwood Industries manufactures unassembled furniture which is sold to retailers for resale to the general public as well as various laminated products supplied to other manufacturers. The company makes a variety of products for the home.
Firefighters faced extremely tough conditions with temperatures down to 5-degrees and falling.
Early indications suggested that it might have been a boiler fire that caused the blaze, but there was no confirmation of that. Firefighters from across the region are pitching in to battle the stubborn blaze.
There were no immediate indications of any injuries stemming from the fire.
