2-alarm fire destroys garage
Cause under investigation
A two-alarm fire destroyed a Douglass Township garage on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 11, authorities reported.
“It was a total loss,” said Jeff Bealer, Boyertown Fire & Rescue public information officer.
Shortly after 1 p.m., fire crews from Berks and Montgomery counties arrived at 1251 Reading Ave. (Route 562) to find the garage was completely engulfed, and crews went into defensive mode to protect surrounding structures, said Bealer in a release.
A pickup truck and lawn tractors were involved, as well as propane tanks and other cylinders in the garage that exploded every so often causing a threat to firefighters, he said.
The garage was an oversized single car two story structure and the top story collapsed into the exterior walls soon after crews arrived.
The fire was upgraded to a second alarm for manpower due to firefighters having to deal with
the intense heat and moving through the deep snow to get around the garage, said Bealer.
Douglass Township Public Works Supervisor assisted by using their backhoe to pull piles of debris apart so the fire could be extinguished. The garage and attached lean-to area were a complete loss.
The home near the detached garage was not damaged, Bealer said.
The fire was declared under control within an hour. There
were no injuries.
The cause is under investigation by the State Police Fire Marshal.
Assisting at the scene were fire crews from Berks and Montgomery counties: Eastern Berks, Amity, Earl, Monocacy, Exeter, Gilbertsville, New Hanover, West Pottsgrove and Upper Pottsgrove fire companies. Also on scene were Douglass Township Police and Goodwill Ambulance of Pottstown.