California Dealer Smacked by Fire, Creditors:

March has been a tough month for Piedmont Lumber & Mill Co., Piedmont, Ca., which was hit with loan-default actions on several of its properties, a federal lawsuit over employee benefits, and a fire that destroyed its store in Walnut Creek, Ca.

On March 1, Umpqua Bank filed suit for breach of contract and warranty against Piedmont Lumber, owner William C. Myer Jr., and his wife, Victoria Myer. According to court records, the owners have defaulted on nearly $15 million in loans.

The 14-count lawsuit seeks judicial foreclosure of the company's properties in Pittsburg, Tracy, Mendocino County, and Lake County, Ca.

On the same day, Northwest Administrators Inc. filed a federal lawsuit against Piedmont Lumber, alleging that the chain has not made required contributions to the pension fund of unionized employees, which it agreed to do based on collective bargaining.

On March 13, a four-alarm fire destroyed Piedmont's store in Walnut Creek, Ca., causing an estimated $5 million in damage.

An eyewitness reported that firefighters were confronted by exploding cans of paint that flew out of the building. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze, which has been called "suspicious" by local newspapers. Although it was a Saturday, the store was closed-as it had been for several weekends.

Seven months earlier, a fire at the company's store in Pittsburgh, Ca., destroyed several exterior lumber racks. Investigators have labeled this fire as arson, but believe it has no connection to the latest fire.