Fire badly damaged an auto body shop in Vonda on Saturday.
Firefighters responded to the fire at J2 Auto at about 11:40 a.m. It took volunteer crews around 30 minutes to get the fire under control, with the support of firefighters from the neighbouring town of Prud’Homme.
“The fire was very intense right off the bat,” said Larry Nagy, the former chief of the Vonda Fire Department. “It was rolling right out of the ceiling, giving us a lot of difficulty initially.”
The fire caused major damage to the building’s interior.
Officials believe auto shop staff were working on a fuel pump and tank with gasoline inside when it somehow caught fire.
Damage is estimated to be at least $2 million, according to Nagy.
The fire remains under investigation.
