Blaze ignites fireworks showroom

There was no explosion, and no injuries were reported.
COLUMBIANA -- The state fire marshal's office is searching for the cause of a fire that destroyed the Phantom Fireworks store on state Route 46 just north of here early this morning.
The showroom, which is owned by the B.J. Alan Fireworks Co. of Youngstown, caught fire about 3:39 a.m., according to the Beaver Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Fire Chief Gary Borman and Assistant Chief Robert Morrison said that when the fire department arrived, smoke was coming through the roof. The showroom was a 50-foot-by-60-foot metal pole building that contained small firecrackers and sparklers.
As firefighters arrived, the roof collapsed. There was no explosion, firefighters said. It took about an hour to get the fire under control, they said, but it continued to smolder until well after daylight.
The building is in Beaver Township at the northwest corner of state Routes 11 and 46. The showroom is about 400 yards off state Route 46. The property is fenced.
Fire departments from Green and Springfield townships, Damascus, Leetonia and Columbiana assisted by bringing water to the scene. The Canfield Fire Department was bringing water this morning.
Prevention efforts
Fire officials said they put water not only on the showroom, but also on a large number of nearby tractor-trailers that might contain fireworks as a preventive measure.
Bruce Zoldan, owner of the fireworks company, and other company officials were on the scene this morning, but could not be reached to comment or give a damage estimate.
"There were no injuries. That was our major concern," Borman said.
Fire officials said there were still a few hot spots in the building at 8 a.m. today.
Morrison said that the department had learned important lessons in dealing with fireworks fires after an illegal fireworks manufacturing site in the township exploded in 1985, killing nine people.