Owners devastated after fire destroys their construction business

TOWN OF WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Devastated. That’s how the owners of a Town of Watertown business say they feel after a fire destroyed their construction company.

There’s not much left of Ives Construction on Old Rices Road. Flames broke out at around 1:30 p.m., creating thick black smoke and even some small explosions.

Volunteers from at least nine fire departments rushed to the scene. Within minutes, firefighters knew they’d be unable to save the business.

“We got the roof that’s caved in a little bit so we got everybody out. We’re all spraying from the outside,” said Assistant Chief John Smith, Town of Watertown Fire Department.

The building housed heavy equipment – things like bulldozers and track hoes. Then there were fuel and chemicals inside.

“We started to try to remove them at this point and it got too dangerous. We pulled everybody out,” said Smith.

Gerald Ives tearfully watched as his business went up in smoke. He was too upset to speak with us, but his wife, JoAnn Ives, told us he’s “absolutely devastated.” Gerald started the company in 1970 right across the street from their house.

JoAnn was home when the fire broke out. When she spotted the flames, she feared the worst. “I couldn’t see my husband anywhere and I come running out of the house because I couldn’t see him and I was screaming, screaming his name and I ended up collapsing on the ground and then finally he come running to me,” said JoAnn.

JoAnn says around half a million dollars worth of equipment was pulled out of the burning building. The business has insurance and JoAnn says it’s up to her husband whether he plans to start over.

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