Caledonia’s Industrial Park Struck by Second Major Fire in Less Than A Year

Caledonia’s industrial park suffers another loss following a recent fire that destroyed a building at Joe Rud Trucking, located at 523 Enterprise Street, Friday night August 16, around 8 p.m. Less than a year ago a fire completely destroyed a production building at Miken Sports.

Caledonia City Administrator Jake Dickson expressed his dismay, stating, “It is very difficult to see another longstanding business suffer a tragic fire, and we’re hoping for a speedy recovery to all involved. Joe has already announced plans to rebuild and that is the message we want to see repeated, that we will continue and rebuild and move forward after a devastating loss.”

According to the company’s website, Joe Rud Trucking is a privately held company founded in 1999. The company employs over 30 people in driving and support with annual revenue of $2,000,000.

Classic cars and semis in the building were safely moved out. (Delete this sentence as I have not heard back from the city administrator.)

H&R Enterprises collision repair operates in the same location. On their Facebook page they announced the following morning that they “will be able to continue to operate while we rebuild, thanks to the support from other businesses.”

Unlike the previous fire at Miken Sports, this latest blaze resulted in an injury. An employee of H&R Enterprises, James Taylor, a 40-year-old Caledonia resident who was recently married, was hurt in the fire. He was airlifted to the burn unit in Madison, Wis., with serious burns.  

The blaze was so intense that it was visible from miles away. Attendees at the 2024 Houston County Fair were able to see the flames and 75’ plume of smoke. The fair held a moment of silence for Taylor who had been working on a car for the demolition derby scheduled for the following night at the fair. It was announced that the fire began when a spark from a welder accidentally ignited a gas tank.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist Taylor and his family. Donations can also be made at any Merchants Bank.

Hannah Boudreaux, who created the GoFundMe account to help the family, said, “James Taylor would give the shirt off his back and help anyone. He loves working on cars and doing different projects with his brother Joe Taylor.”

The residents of Caledonia are coming together to support the Taylor family and the two businesses.