CLINTON TWP — The township lost multiple vehicles, equipment and half a garage in a fire Sunday afternoon.

The township's two snow-removal trucks and a backhoe were destroyed along with half of a four-stall garage.

“That's our main public works building,” said township manager Tom Hartwig. “Everything else appears to be drivable with just smoke damage.”

Hartwig did not have a damage estimate, but said one of the trucks, a 2020 Peterbilt, was purchased for about $173,000.

The township owns two garages that sit behind its office at 717 Saxonburg Boulevard. The garage that burned was the farthest from the road.

Butler County 911 dispatchers called multiple fire departments to the scene at 11:55 a.m.

According to Saxonburg Fire Chief Chris Dean, firefighters believe the fire started in the southeast corner of the garage.

He said no one was in the building at the time of the fire, and there was no one injured.

“My first officer got on scene and reported heavy smoke and fire showing,” Dean said.

Multiple neighbors reported hearing an explosion and seeing brown mixed with black, gray and white smoke.

Dean could not confirm if there was an explosion before firefighters arrived, but noted there was not one while they were there.

Dean said when crews arrived, the fire was spreading through the garage, which was framed with wood and covered with corrugated sheet metal for its walls and roof.

Crews concentrated on the middle of the garage, saving the northern half. At one point, firefighters used a Middlesex Township ladder truck to extend and spray water through the roof, which had caved in.

As the fire smoldered, crumpled sheet metal from the roof and walls lay on top of the ruined vehicles inside. All of it soaked in a filmy white foam.

Occasionally during the fire and during its dwindling moments, a township employee used a salvageable yet smoke-damaged machine to help clear debris so firefighters could tackle hot spots underneath.

Fire crews were on the scene for more than two hours.

The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal has been called and is scheduled to inspect the site Monday morning.

The smoke wasn't the only tough thing to swallow as municipal employees and officials gathered at the scene to survey the damage.

Hartwig said the two snow-removal trucks were the only ones the township had.

“One of the trucks we lost was a brand new truck, just delivered in January,” he said. “It probably doesn't have more than 500 miles on it.”

The other plow truck is a 1997 International scheduled to be decommissioned, and a replacement had already been ordered.

“It's scrap value was practically nothing,” Hartwig said.

However, the new truck, a 2021 Peterbilt, won't arrive until November or December, which leaves the township without a truck to clear snow off roads.

Middlesex and Winfield townships have already agreed to spare some of their vehicles for the effort, and Cranberry Township has also offered extra support too, according to Hartwig.

“We'll be OK thanks to our good neighbors,” he said.