Hovis Truck Services main building in Emlenton, Venango County, was destroyed by fire early Sunday.

Fire departments from Butler County and four other counties responded to a three-alarm blaze at Hovis Truck Services in Emlenton, Venango County on Sunday.

Emlenton Fire Department was called at 4:01 a.m. to the scene at 6010 Emlenton Clintonville Road.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the business' main building, which includes several commercial truck bays, a retail area and offices, engulfed in flame, according to Emlenton Fire Chief Trevor Hile, who said no one was inside the building at the time of the fire.

A monetary estimate of the damage was not available late Sunday.

Hile said he considers the building a total loss. He said the cause has not been determined, but foul play is not suspected at this time.“We feel very sorry,” Hile said. “This is one of our really dependable and great local businesses.”Hile said the fire took several hours to knock down, and there was a small reignition closer to noon.Curtis Hovis, vice president, said most of the company's equipment, tow trucks and recovery equipment were stored in other buildings, and he is making plans both for temporary facility space and to rebuild the facility.“All of the many volunteers from the numerous fire departments worked hard and cold to extinguish the fire,” Hovis said. “The support and work from them is outstanding. The area businesses provided food for the volunteers, and the community support with many calls and prayers and offers to help is very much appreciated. We are fortunate to live in such a caring community.”

Hile said without the need for rescue operations, the crews immediately set up ladder trucks and initiated aerial streams to fight the fire.“They are deluging water onto the fire from above,” Hile said. “We had numerous handlines also in operation.”The aerial devices, of which three were used, needed consistent water supply, which presented a complication because there was no hydrant nearby, according to Hile.The crews drew on water from three sites: one about six miles west of the scene near Clintonville; one about three miles south of the scene near Eau Claire; and one from the Emlenton municipality's system.“We had to be able to fill the tankers and truck water to the scene,” Hile said. “This was a pretty big fire, so it demanded a pretty high flow of water per minute.”

Hile said he appreciated all the agencies who responded Sunday, but he also saw the impact of having fewer firefighters than in the past. He said as numbers dwindle in volunteer fire companies, a large fire such as Sunday's requires more and more departments to respond.“On a scene like this, that problem compounds itself more and more,” Hile said.From Butler County, crews from Eau Claire, Bruin, North Washington, Marion Township, Harrisville, Petrolia, Chicora, West Sunbury and Slippery Rock fire departments assisted at the scene.About 14 other departments from Venango, Clarion, Armstrong and Mercer counties assisted.The aftermath was jarring, according to at least one passerby.Mandy Williams, of Harrisville, said she heard the county's crews being called out by Butler County dispatch on a scanner radio. She said when she woke and heard crews were still on the scene, she wanted to go see for herself.Williams and her daughter drove 20 minutes to pass the truck repair business.“When we first saw it, it was definitely like 'Wow,'” Williams said.Williams said her daughter, Katelyn Carr of Harrisville, took photographs as they passed. They saw a firefighter standing atop a ladder truck spraying a handheld hose into a small plume of smoke.

Williams said though the fire was largely out by the time they passed, the building's skeletal remains still showed the severity of the damage.“It looks like it would have been really hot,” Williams said. “There were metal and big steel beams that were drooping as if they were melted.”In addition to repairing large trucks, the company also performs 24/7 towing services and roadside assistance.Hile said he has worked alongside crews from Hovis before, even in the field. He said at times, Hovis crews and equipment helped in some emergency situations, such as removing someone trapped in a vehicle.“We depend on and work with them a lot,” Hile said. “They're really well known, and they're really good at it.”“We're keeping their employees and their families in our prayers,” Hile said.A complete list of fire departments responding to the scene includes the following: Venango County — Clintonville, Rockland, Kennerdell, Sandy Creek, Polk. Butler County —Eau Claire, Bruin, North Washington, Marion Township, Harrisville, Petrolia, Chicora, West Sunbury and Slippery Rock. Clarion County — St. Petersburg, Knox, Perry Township, Callensburg, Sligo, Rimersburg, Shippenville. Armstrong County — Parker and Mercer County — Pine Township.