A fire at Advanced Finishing Systems Saturday night on Route 17 at Hayes caused an undetermined amount of damage to several large plastic vats containing material used for metalwork, as well as electrical connections in that area of the building.

Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue responded to the call, which came in via an automatic alarm at 7:38 p.m. According to a press release from Abingdon public information officer Robert Parlett, a passerby also reported a smell of burning plastic and smoke in the area. AFS is a metal finishing facility that contains numerous hazardous materials and has experienced fires in the past, said Parlett.

Fire personnel arrived at the site 10 minutes later to find smoke coming from the eaves of the single-story commercial metal building, and requested "a full commercial structure fire assignment."

AVFR responded with two engines, two heavy rescue trucks, a medic, and a rehab unit. Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue was dispatched fo...