MIDDLETON — Although a two-alarm fire destroyed a dehumidifying kiln building at the LaValley Middleton Building Supply lumber yard June 20, repairs are already under way at the facility, which distributes white pine wood to the region.

The fire caused about $30,000 to $40,000 in damage to a kiln, a fan and sections of the roof in one building. The electrical panels remain intact and the fire damage doesn't impact daily operations, according to Marcella Perry, general manager at the facility.

“It was a kiln we rarely use,” Perry said, adding it was used to treat special products and as a backup for the primary kilns.

The kilns, which are heated by wood chips and sawdust from the adjacent sawmill, are used to dry freshly cut lumber at the facility, located at 5 Kings Highway.

Perry said this gives the company an opportunity to upgrade the building which was constructed around 1980.

“We are in the middle of fixing it now,” Perry said, adding the company is using its truss business to provide the necessary materials to repair the structure, which is part of the largest business in the community.

While firefighters have completed their investigation, the cause of the fire remains undetermined, but was believed to be accidental, especially since the affected kilns were offline at the time, according to Perry.

jquinn@newstote.com