Gladewater Fire Cause Undetermined

LONGVIEW — Gregg County officials investigating a fire that destroyed Southwest Plastics in Gladewater have ruled the cause of the blaze undetermined. “We were not able to determine a single source of ignition,” Gregg County Fire Marshal David Kidder said. Kidder said the fire started on the west side of the plant in the area close to where the finished product is stored prior to being shipped. “There is heat involved in producing the product, but there shouldn’t be any heat source in the final product, not that could have started this fire,” Kidder said. Gladewater firefighters were dispatched at about 1:30am on March 7 to Southwest Plastics in the 1000 block of East Commerce Street after a witness noticed flames, according to Gladewater Fire Chief Wayne Smith.