Glass-blowing Shop Destroyed in Fire
By Rowan Beck and Nancy Wood,
January 26, 2012, page 5.....

A glassblowing shop owned by Dr. Wilbur Shriner was destroyed in a fire midmorning on Friday, January 13. Dark smoke was visible for miles. Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services received the call at approximately 11 a.m. According to Fire Chief Chris Davis, Dick St. George and his son Devon were first on the scene. “They were there within four minutes of the call,” said Davis. “Then my brother John and I arrived.” CVFRS was aided by several other fire departments, including Shelburne, Ferrisburgh, Hinesburg and Monkton. Of the 32 firefighters at the scene, nine were from Charlotte. Monkton was called in for backup in case there was another call. “Daytime fires are a challenge because we are volunteers. Daytime is tricky for most (fire departments). We all help each other out,” Chris said. Both Charlotte and Shelburne rescue squads responded as well.
The shop was close to Shriner’s residence on the south side of Ferry Road, just west of Lake Road. The glassblowing business, known as Church & Maple Glass Studio, was moved there about three years ago from Burlington, where it had been located for about ten years. It is suspected that the fire was caused by a disruption of power, stopping the glassblowing fans that keep the flames of the kiln down. As the fire in the kiln grew, the combustible materials in the studio caught fire, engulfing the building. Although the fire was controlled within ten minutes, firefighters spent another two hours making sure it was completely extinguished. “We needed to tip everything over and sort through the debris to make sure everything was out,” said Chris.