Arson suspected in fire at abandoned factory in Palatka

PALATKA, Fla. – The state fire marshal will consider arson as the possible cause of a fire that ripped through an abandoned factory on River Street in Palatka Sunday afternoon.

Palatka Fire Department Chief Chris Taylor told News4JAX the preliminary investigation by responding firefighters raised suspicions since the factory was not occupied and doesn’t have electricity.

Flames were first noticed in the building around 4:15 p.m. The fire was fully extinguished by 6, Taylor said.

Property records show the building has been abandoned for years, pending renovation plans. The factory was built in the late-1800s and is 10,000 square feet.

A photo from the State Archives of Florida shows an aerial view of the building when Wilson Cypress Company and Florida Furniture Industries operated out of the space in the 1940s.

News4JAX is on the way to the scene.