Massive fire in Christiana destroys sizable portion of family business

Apr 24, 2014 at 10:45 pm by bryan


Black smoke could be seen for miles in Christiana on the Shelbyville Highway as a several residents watched their family business go up in flames…

That was Sylvia Barrett. Her grandson Christopher Hillis operates a successful pallet recycling business on the property that went up in flames Thursday night. Barrett told us they were eating dinner when a neighbor told them something was on fire…

A large barn, a bull dozer, a forklift and thousands of dollars in tools, all destroyed…

That was Billy Hillis who works at the family business on the Shelbyville Highway. He told us that he believes the bull dozers were insured, but not the barn. No one was injured in the blaze.

Crews from multiple Volunteer Fire Departments throughout Rutherford County worked hard fighting the fire and prevented it from spreading to the surrounding trees. Rutherford County Sheriff Deputies on the scene told us that the family does have a burn permit.   

Below: Video of the fire

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