Great American Gunstocks burned to the ground today

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Gunstock firm in flames
Fire destroys manufacturing firm in west Yuba City, CA

By Nancy Pasternack/Appeal-Democrat
October 5, 2007 - 1:23AM

Fire gutted the Great American Gunstock Co. building – a 4,500-square-foot structure on Industrial Drive in Yuba City – Thursday night, taking with it several million dollars in machinery and inventory.

No one was injured in the blaze.

The company, which manufactures stocks for high-end, double-barreled shotguns and big-game rifles, has been in business since 1993.

Dale Whitney of Whitney’s Appliance Service, across the street, called 911 just after 8:30 p.m., then ran to alert the gun-stock company’s owner, Henry L. Pohl, who was inside the building at the time.

“I came out here, ready to head home, and I seen the flames,” Whitney said. “It was weird.”

Two hours later, Pohl was still pacing in front of his building, staring at the wreckage in disbelief.

“It’s just about gone,” he said. “They put so much water on it, but it wouldn’t go out. It just wouldn’t go out,”

He estimated that 7,000 to 8,000 finished or partly finished gunstocks had been lost. Together with equipment that had been destroyed, he estimated the loss at $3 million to $5 million.

Pohl said he had been on the telephone when Whitney banged on the door and alerted him about the fire.

Several minutes after he exited the building, Pohl said, ignited wood-finishing oil began to accelerate the blaze.

“Aerosol spray cans started exploding and shooting up like little rockets,” he said.

Wind blew embers over and onto the building next door, which houses an engineering firm, a construction company, a development firm and an attorney’s office, but firefighters from the Yuba City and Marysville fire departments kept the blaze contained to the gunstock building.

“I’m watching to make sure no flames shoot over,” said Kyle West, owner of Kwest Engineering, “as if there’s really anything I could do about it,” he laughed.

Pohl said he has been in the gunstock business his whole life, and is the fourth generation in his family to be involved in that enterprise.

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I've been in there a few times. It's a shame as they had some absolutely beautiful pieces of wood.

Ed

UPDATE:

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Owner of gunstock firm vows to stay in business
YC company, employing 16 workers, devastated by fire

By John Dickey/Appeal-Democrat
October 5, 2007 - 11:56PM

The owner of a Yuba City gunstock manufacturing business that burned Thursday night vows to bring it back from the ashes.

“We have to put it together again,” said Henry L. Pohl, owner of the Great American Gunstock Co., surveying the damage Friday. “It’s been a big setback, but we intend to stay in business.”

Pohl employed 16 people at his 4,500-square-foot building on Industrial Drive, which caught fire Thursday evening, resulting in a two-alarm blaze that kept the Yuba City Fire Department busy for hours.

Pohl said the sawdust fire in a plastic bin outside the building sparked the blaze. He said he tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the inferno was too hot.

He stayed and watched the Yuba City Fire Department pour a “torrent” of water on the building – but the fire just kept going, despite what he said was an “awesome” job by firefighters.

The Fire Department arrived within six minutes, said Fire Chief Marc Boomgaarden. Twenty firefighters responded, with the Marysville, Linda and Sutter County fire departments assisting Yuba City.

“We feel like we saved half the building,” said Boomgaarden, who estimated building damage at $300,000 with another $300,000 in building content losses. “Half was damaged, half was saved.”

Pohl had estimated his losses at $3 million to $5 million Thursday night in the immediate aftermath of the fire.

The fire, fueled by wood stock in the building’s attic, was brought under control within 30 minutes, according to the Fire Department.
The blaze threatened buildings to the north and east because of winds. An ember blew on the roof of a neighboring building, setting it on fire, but fire crews put it out quickly.

Boomgaarden said the fire started in the southwest corner of the Great American Gunstock building, but didn’t confirm whether the sawdust bin sparked the blaze.

The fire remains under investigation and arson has not been ruled out, Boomgaarden said.

Pohl said he would restart the gunstock business, which has had its ups and downs since he bought it at an Internal Revenue Service sale in 1993. The firm specializes in making high-end, aftermarket gunstocks that Pohl sells over the Internet for an average of $1,000 apiece.

“It’s mostly high-end merchandise,” said Pohl. “We sell it all over the world.”

Pohl, who started making gunstocks at age 14 in a family business, said Great American’s business had been strong enough to pay off a tax lien. Business has slowed since “three beautiful years” in 2004-06, but the company was starting to get back on track and was making money, he said.

“It was running very well – that’s the irony of it,” said Pohl.

At 66, Pohl said rebuilding a business was not how he expected to spend the latter part of his life.

But his workers want the place to stay in business. The building was not insured, Pohl said, but some of the machinery and inventory may be salvageable.

The shop cat, Jasper, survived the blaze, and was hanging around Pohl at the front of the building where he was taking phone calls Friday afternoon.

“I’m going to sit right here, go back to work right here,” said Pohl. “I’m going to take it a day at a time. I have no master plan yet.”