Whitney Downard / The Meridian StarMatt Ramey, the owner of Refrigeration Services, Inc., stands in front of fire damage at his bussiness' garage on 6th Street in Meridian. Though the accidental fire damaged a service truck, some equipment and the building, Ramey said those things could be replaced.

An accidental fire at 7 a.m. Wednesday claimed a work truck, garage space and some equipment, but Matt Ramey, the owner of Refrigeration Services, Inc., said damage was limited to just one building and caused no injuries. 

“One service truck is compromised and some of the stuff in the shop is compromised but all of that is replaceable,” Ramey said. “There were no injuries and that’s what’s important.”

It appears some wiring in a conduit at their location at 1519 6th Street shorted and caught a nearby wooden structure on fire, Ramey said. 

“Our phone lines were damaged but we just set up call forwarding,” Ramey said. “The overall damage is still under investigation.”

Whether at a Subway, Pilot Travel Center or ice plant, local business Refrigeration Services, Inc. might be the one providing heating, cooling and other contracts with local food service businesses.

Ramey said the business would continue to use the adjoining offices on 6th Street while recovering. The business, which responds to clients 24/7, normally operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the fire occurred before business hours. 

“The fire department did an excellent job in putting it out and making sure everything was secure. I made sure to thank every one of them when I got here,” Ramey said. 

Though the fire caused significant damage inside, Ramey said that neighborhood business support meant he could continue to service ice cream makers, tabletop coffee makers and chiller systems for local restaurants.

“We’ll be delayed by a couple of weeks but we’re not stopping operation,” Ramey said. “There’s a contractor locally, who does residential heating and air condition, that offered us some space. Another business up the road offered to help in any way that they can.”

Ramey said he sought to establish good business relationships, despite the competitive nature of the industry.

“There’s no need to be cutthroat,” Ramey said. “I always try to have a good relationship with the businesses around me.”