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Not-so-merry Christmas Day for local woodworker as garage catches fire
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| Foxboro firefighters battle a Christmas night garage fire at 200 North St. The blaze heavily damaged the building, which is used as a storage area for a cabinet-making business. No one was injured. (Photo by Matt Pillsbury) |
By Frank Mortimer
A cabinetmaker who lost a lifetime collection of tools and sustained major damage to his detached garage in a $250,000 Christmas night blaze was relaxing in his living room, watching the Celtics on TV, when arriving fire trucks alerted him to the fire.
"It was a horrible Christmas," said Calvin Davis of 200 North St. "We were literally in the living room when the fire trucks pulled in. There was smoke billowing out of my shop."
While vacuuming up paint chips from a car restoration project in the garage earlier on Christmas day, Davis said, he apparently also scooped up a hot ember from his pellet stove.
He said he believes the ember smoldered with the sawdust in the "shop vac" for hours before erupting into fire. Davis credited the family of Paul and Karen Jones, who live across the street at 195 North St., with notifying the fire department of a suspicious odor.
Firefighters checked out Foxboro Terminals next to the Davis home before pinpointing and extinguishing the fire. No injuries were reported.
Building commissioner William Casbarra inspected the damage Monday.
Davis said the 30-foot by 40-foot wood and steel garage, which he built in 1991, remains structurally sound and weather tight.
"I overbuilt it. It's always been a rugged structure."
But the charred beams will need to be sandblasted or otherwise cleaned, and the building needs to be rewired and fitted with a new heating system.
It may be months before he can use it as a shop.
Fortunately, Davis said, a lot of the work he does as owner of Cal Customs Inc. involves installation of prefabricated cabinets, not shop work. He expects to be back in business immediately, using tools provided by friends.
"I have a lot of friends that have come out of the woodwork to get me back on my feet, so I fully intend to continue to be the neighborhood cabinetmaker," said Davis, who works with his son, Ross Davis. He has been in the cabinet business for 17 years. As a hobby, he putters with antique cars.
Cal Davis said he was in the garage refinishing a 1962 Ford Falcon for his wife, Ellen Davis, then went back into the house for Christmas dinner at about 1:30 p.m. Because it was mild day, he had let the pellet stove -- a backup to the garage's forced hot air system -- to go out.
The family was watching the Celtics play the Los Angeles Lakers on TV when the fire trucks arrived at about 6 p.m.
Foxboro firefighters were on the scene for about 90 minutes and were assisted by crews from Walpole, Sharon and Mansfield, while Norfolk firefighters covered the Foxboro station.
He believes he will be able to save the antique car -- which was his third antique restoration project.
Capt. Don Treannie Jr. estimated the damage at $250,000, Davis said.
"It was a horrible Christmas," said Calvin Davis of 200 North St. "We were literally in the living room when the fire trucks pulled in. There was smoke billowing out of my shop."
While vacuuming up paint chips from a car restoration project in the garage earlier on Christmas day, Davis said, he apparently also scooped up a hot ember from his pellet stove.
He said he believes the ember smoldered with the sawdust in the "shop vac" for hours before erupting into fire. Davis credited the family of Paul and Karen Jones, who live across the street at 195 North St., with notifying the fire department of a suspicious odor.
Firefighters checked out Foxboro Terminals next to the Davis home before pinpointing and extinguishing the fire. No injuries were reported.
Building commissioner William Casbarra inspected the damage Monday.
Davis said the 30-foot by 40-foot wood and steel garage, which he built in 1991, remains structurally sound and weather tight.
"I overbuilt it. It's always been a rugged structure."
But the charred beams will need to be sandblasted or otherwise cleaned, and the building needs to be rewired and fitted with a new heating system.
It may be months before he can use it as a shop.
Fortunately, Davis said, a lot of the work he does as owner of Cal Customs Inc. involves installation of prefabricated cabinets, not shop work. He expects to be back in business immediately, using tools provided by friends.
"I have a lot of friends that have come out of the woodwork to get me back on my feet, so I fully intend to continue to be the neighborhood cabinetmaker," said Davis, who works with his son, Ross Davis. He has been in the cabinet business for 17 years. As a hobby, he putters with antique cars.
Cal Davis said he was in the garage refinishing a 1962 Ford Falcon for his wife, Ellen Davis, then went back into the house for Christmas dinner at about 1:30 p.m. Because it was mild day, he had let the pellet stove -- a backup to the garage's forced hot air system -- to go out.
The family was watching the Celtics play the Los Angeles Lakers on TV when the fire trucks arrived at about 6 p.m.
Foxboro firefighters were on the scene for about 90 minutes and were assisted by crews from Walpole, Sharon and Mansfield, while Norfolk firefighters covered the Foxboro station.
He believes he will be able to save the antique car -- which was his third antique restoration project.
Capt. Don Treannie Jr. estimated the damage at $250,000, Davis said.
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