Charges Filed in Blaze That Destroyed Abandoned Mill

Charges of arson and reckless endangerment have been filed against a Gloversville, New York, man in a four-alarm fire that destroyed a former leather mill Monday night.

Lincoln J. Flansburg Jr., 44, was arraigned Tuesday morning in Gloversville City Court and plead not guilty. Flansburg, with four prior felony convictions on his record, was remanded without bail.

At about 9:15 p.m., emergency dispatchers received multiple calls reporting a fire at a large abandoned mill. Firefighters from Gloversville and nearby Johnstown responded to the fire scene, later joined by Meco, Berkshire, Pleasant Square, Sammonville and Sir William Johnson fire departments.

Gloversville was once the hub of glove manufacturing in the U.S., with several hundred glove factories located there. However, that industry shifted production overseas, leaving behind many vacant factory facilities.

Firefighters were able to contain the mill fire within two hours of the first call. However, the structure continued to burn throughout the night, all but totaling the structure.

Radiant heat from the blaze damaged some neighboring homes but no injuries were reported.

The city had recently demolished a portion of the structure for fear that it could collapse.