"Upon arrival volunteers were faced with heavy smoke and fire. With help from Burkeville Fire, Blackstone Fire, Fort Pickett Fire, Victoria Fire and Farmville Fire the blaze was able to be put out successfully and without injuries," the fire department said in a post on its Facebook page.
"Unfortunately, the fire did do extensive damage to a lot of the production facility," owner Bill Wilkerson Jr. told WRIC. "We're really hoping that once we get in and assess the damage, we'll be able to say we can get things going again sooner rather than later."
The family owned business dates to 1947. Founder Buster Wilkerson had a small car dealership that expanded into car and truck tire retreading before then including aircraft tire retreading. It was Buster Wilkerson's son, Bill Wilkerson Sr., who had a childhood interest in becoming a pilot that inspired the father to tackle aircraft tires. Bill Wilkerson Sr. now is company president and a private pilot, according to the company's website.
Along with providing its own brand of Wilkerson Retreads, the company also offers new Goodyear and Dunlop aircraft tires, the website said.
