Things were moving along smoothly for hardworking business owners Ben Verta of Lansford and Mike Miller of Tamaqua.

The partners were making strides in building and managing Material Dynamics LLC, a resin manufacturing company in the 18,000-square-foot industrial building at 140 Walnut St. in Tuscarora, just off Old Route 209.The Schuylkill Township operation employed five full-time workers and was looking to add three additional staffers.But everything came to a sudden halt when the brick building burst into flames late Sunday morning.Despite best attempts by firefighters from Schuylkill and Carbon counties, the structure and all of its contents were destroyed."We're shell-shocked. It was a good burgeoning business. We spun this into a resin manufacturing business, something that is used for things like glues and adhesives. It'll be two years in May," said Verta, who was waiting for arrival of his brother Chris, the building owner."Right now we can't even find the roof. It burned off," he said.Many area residents still call the 1965 brick complex Tuscarora Sportswear, the name of a garment factory located there for many years."I think every woman in Tuscarora worked there at one time or another," said a volunteer at the scene.In 1981, the building housed All Seasons Sportswear, according to courthouse records. In 1996, it was sold to Candle Wax LLC and Christopher Verta, currently listing a South Carolina address.The Schuylkill County Communications Center reported that emergency equipment lined Route 209 for 4 miles.HazardousThe heavy snowfall that smothered the region on Saturday resulted in narrow streets and limited space for emergency vehicles.Also hampering emergency efforts was the type of blaze and the speed with which it burned, according to first responders."It was through the roof when we arrived," said Tuscarora Fire Chief Tom Slane Jr. "It was wind-driven."Slane said it wasn't the kind of fire that simply can have water poured on it."They work with paraffin here. We had to use foam," he said, adding that tankers and units equipped with the necessary chemical were summoned from throughout the region. Heavy black smoke rose over the community and could be seen from the Dutch Hill section of Tamaqua and as far away as Berks and Lehigh counties.Slane said no injuries were reported despite the hazards.Verta said the origin of the fire remains unclear."The initial report said it started in the southeast corner, the least likely spot," he said.The building was closed on Sunday and nobody was on the premises, prompting Verta and Miller to wonder if the extremely heavy snowfall of snowstorm Jonas had caused the roof to collapse.Verta said the operation has insurance and the future will depend on provisions of the coverage."Do you realize what it'll cost just to clean this up," he asked.Still, if there's any possible way to pick up the pieces, he and Miller would like to do it, he said."We have the fortitude to rebuild, but it'll take money just to clean this up."A Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal was due on scene to pinpoint a cause.The heat was so intense that most of the contents were reduced to ashes. Massive structural steel girders were twisted as if made of rubber.The Tamaqua Salvation Army was on hand to provide food and beverages.Because it was a commercial fire in a large industrial complex, emergency responders were dispatched from an unusually large region, including as far away as Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven.