Suffolk News-Herald

Wind gusting over 40 miles per hour is being blamed for starting a fire at Ferguson Manufacturing Co. around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Firefighters were called to the company in the 600 block of Madison Avenue after a section of the roof blew into nearby power lines, said Capt. Jim Judkins, spokesman for the Suffolk Fire Department.

The resulting electrical arc set the building’s roof on fire, Judkins said. The building only sustained minor damage.

Firefighters remained on scene for about an hour until a Dominion Virginia Power crew neutralized the circuit so the fire could be safely extinguished, he said. Ferguson employees armed with fire extinguishers kept the fire in check until help arrived.