Fire destroys Knox Twp. auto sales business
KNOX TWP. − A fire early Saturday about four miles east of Alliance burned down a building housing a used car business in northwestern Columbiana County, a fire official said.
There were no injuries.
North Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ed Reichenbach said a neighbor reported a fire at Western Reserve Auto Sales on U.S. Route 62 about 2:30 a.m. No one was on the property at 25933 U.S. Route 62 at the time. The business, which sells used cars, is just south of the stretch of U.S. Route 62 that's the boundary between Columbiana and Mahoning counties.
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About 35 firefighters from several nearby fire departments responded, along with a water tanker truck. The flames destroyed the large building, which had a car shop, offices and two or three vehicles inside. It took the firefighters about three hours to put out the fire. By 7:30 a.m., the firefighters had cleared the scene. Reichenbach said the building also had living quarters, but no one was living in them.
In addition to the vehicles inside the building, three or four other cars and a couple of motorcycles outside were destroyed. The business' owner, whom Reichenbach said appeared at the scene, had insurance.
Reichenbach said he had no estimate yet as to a damage total. He said the Ohio State Fire Marshal's office is investigating to determine what caused the blaze.
North Georgetown and Homeworth Fire in Columbiana County have an agreement to jointly provide fire protection in Knox Township, which is Columbiana County's northwest corner.
The other departments responding were Sebring Fire and EMS, Beloit Fire EMS, Damascus Fire Department and Green Township Fire in Mahoning County, along with Washington Township and Lexington Township fire departments in Stark County.
Winona Fire Department in Columbiana County sent firefighters and trucks to North Georgetown's fire station in case other calls came in during the auto dealership blaze.
North Georgetown fire in a Facebook post also thanked many others who assisted.
Stark Fire Department Rehab Unit responded to the scene and provided drinks to firefighters and a place for them to recover from battling the flames. The Ohio State Highway Patrol along with Sebring Police and Smith Township Police, based in Mahoning County, closed U.S. Route 62 to traffic and detoured vehicles around the scene. Johnny's Excavating, based in North Georgetown, provided equipment to help the firefighters handle hotspots. And a McDonald's in Alliance donated food to the firefighters, according to a comment on the Homeworth Fire Department's Facebook account.
Reichenbach said the destruction hit particularly close to home, because he owns an auto sales and towing business in North Georgetown.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Fire destroys Knox Twp. auto sales business