A fire tore through a Davidsonville septic business Friday and injured one person, according to the Anne Arundel Fire Department.
Just before 8 p.m. Friday, 98 firefighters from four departments responded to Statewide Septic & Backhoe on Central Avenue after a passerby called 911 to say the roof of the building was on fire. The caller also told emergency personnel that loud “booms” were heard in the area of the building, firefighters said.
According to a news release, when county firefighters responded, 75 percent of the 22,500-square-foot building was engulfed in flames — firefighters could hear explosions coming from inside.
A Statewide Septic employee told first responders that while no one was in the building, there was a “substantial load of fuel” inside, including hydraulic fluid, according to the news release.
According to a news release, crews from the Anne Arundel, Annapolis and Prince George fire departments, as well as the Naval Support Activity Fire Department in Annapolis, a collection of first responders from the Naval Academy , it took approximately three hours to bring the fire under control. Part of the response involved protecting another business attached to the Statewide building and vehicles on display near the site.
According to authorities, the businessman suffered minor injuries from the fire and was treated and released at the scene.
Established in 1963 by Alvin and Mayola Sutphin, Statewide Septic & Backhoe is now run by their son, Alvin Jr., and grandsons Trey and Ethan Sutphin, the company specializes in toilets, septic repair, stormwater management and site development.
In an online post, staff at Statewide Septic & Backhoe said the fire “devastated the building and the family,” adding that the business was still open and operational and they “have no plans to leave anytime soon.”
Alvin Sutphin Jr. told The Capital that Statewide is looking for other locations to set up business. According to the Facebook post, the company was in the building for 22 years.
