2-story garage in Chicora damaged by fire Monday
CHICORA — The state police fire marshal is investigating a Monday night blaze that damaged an unoccupied finished garage in the 400 block of North Main Street, authorities said.
The fire appeared to have started on the exterior, right side of the two-story garage that sits in the backyard of a house, said Cody Craig, chief of the Chicora Volunteer Fire Department.
No one was injured and the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Trooper DuWayne Baird, deputy fire marshal, was inspecting the damage Tuesday. He said surveillance footage showed that the fire started in trash cans that were up against the garage's exterior. But it was still unclear how the fire started in those trash cans.
“(The cause) is probably going to be undetermined, but it doesn't appear suspicious at this time,” said Baird Tuesday.
Authorities said a neighbor about 9:30 p.m. alerted the owners of the fire and notified 911.
“One of the owners tried to hit it with a fire extinguisher,” Craig said, but the fire had too much of a head start on the exterior.
Fire crews arrived and went to work, tapping a hydrant across the street to start an immediate exterior attack.
Only minutes later, the first attack crew went inside to the second floor of the garage. A second crew quickly followed into the first floor.
“Both floors of the structure were on fire,” Craig said, “The fire made its way in the first floor and the second floor through the floor boards.
There were no vehicles in the garage, fire officials said, but a Ford F-150 pickup nearby sustained heat damage from the blaze.
The garage was described as having vinyl siding, a kitchen on the first floor and a loft with living space on the second floor. It also had an attic.
“It's a nice garage,” Craig said.
Crews during the fire fight had to cut a hole in the eaves to access the attic, which had filled with smoke.
The fire was contained within 30 minutes. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
Assisting the Chicora VFD were firefighters from Bruin, Petrolia and East Butler, as well as Sugarcreek in Armstrong County.
