Fire at Western Auto damages service center

Published 8:27 pm Monday, December 5, 2005

VALDOSTA — A fuel fire which ignited in the auto service center area at Western Auto Thursday morning in downtown Valdosta was quickly extinguished by the Valdosta Fire Department.

“Our Engine 2 crew was on its way downtown for a CPR class and was right around the corner when the 911 call came in. The call initially said it was a car fire, but when the first crew arrived, they called immediately for backup, saying it was a structure fire instead,” said Fire Chief J.D. Rice.

Five pumpers, two ladder trucks and a rescue truck all responded to the blaze, which Rice said was an appropriate response given the proximity of the business to both City Hall and other buildings in the immediate area.

The fire started when two auto service workers, David Swann and Hugh West, were working on a late ’80s Pontiac Bonneville. “We were taking the fuel tank out to replace the fuel filter. Some of the fuel spilled onto the floor and a work light fell and broke, which ignited the fuel.”

The two men both grabbed fire extinguishers and tried to put the fire out themselves. When it became apparent that the flames were spreading too quickly, they called 911 and made sure the building was evacuated.

“The fire department was here in less than three minutes and got the fire out very quickly. We don’t know yet how long that area will be unusable or how much damage was done, although we don’t think there was any structural damage,” said Bucky Anderson, owner of the store, which has been in his family since the 1940s.

Anderson said the damage appeared to be confined to the back area of the service center, with a Mustang that was in the shop for repairs damaged, and the Bonneville still up on the lift with extensive damage.

“We haven’t been able to notify the car’s owner yet, because the work order burned up in the fire,” he said.

Thursday afternoon, the phones were out in the store and one of the buildings was without electrical power. “Some of the wires melted from the heat,” said Anderson, who was still waiting on a visit from his insurance adjuster.



To contact reporter Kay Harris, please call 244-3400, ext. 280.