Fire DME

WASHINGTON TWP. — Multiple departments from across Butler County and neighboring counties were called to a garage fire in the 2100 block of Branchton Road Thursday afternoon, Oct. in Washington Township. The fire was reported shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, and a second alarm was called around 5:45 p.m. due to the high amount of visible smoke.

No one was injured or hospitalized, and the only other structure to be damaged was a fence.

According to Ryan Enscoe, chief of the North Washington Volunteer Fire Department, the fire took roughly 20 minutes to get under control, even though there was an additional bit of difficulty, as the usual sources of water in the area had run dry.

“There were no water sources handy because of the drought,” Enscoe said. “We use streams, creeks, and ponds. At our fill sites where we would normally go to get water, there’s no water.”

Enscoe says that the cause of the fire is currently unknown, but multiple flammable objects were located near the garage.

“There were a few propane tanks and a gas can inside, and a quad dirt bike,” Enscoe said.