SAN ANGELO — A fire broke out Friday night at the Mitchell Buick GMC dealership on Sherwood Way, damaging the service department but sparing the rest of the building.
“At about 9:21 tonight, we got a reported structure fire over at Mike Mitchell’s dealership, right across from Rosa’s Café,” Fire Chief Patrick Brody said. “The first crew on the scene saw heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building, which appeared to be the shop area.”
Brody confirmed that three engines, two ladder trucks, a rescue truck, and a command vehicle were deployed to the scene. Firefighters launched an "aggressive interior attack," focusing on containing the fire in the shop area.
“I’m pretty proud of the work these crews have done,” Brody said. “They kept that fire in the shop area and pretty much saved the rest of the dealership.”
The fire, which started on the ground level of the shop, burned through fiberglass panels, creating visible exterior damage. Brody said that these panels are flammable and provide ventilation for the fire. The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation, with the fire marshal’s office on-site to determine the source of ignition.
Sherwood Way was temporarily closed as firefighters ran a supply line across the roadway. Chief Brody estimated that one lane would reopen by 11 p.m., with full traffic resuming after midnight.
Dealership owner Mike Mitchell, who was dining across the street at Cotton Patch Café when the fire started, called 911 after being alerted by a patron.
“What a bad time of the year for something like this,” Mitchell said.
The dealership’s car and truck inventory was undamaged, and no injuries were reported.
Comments
Prayers going out to all the technicians who lost their tools and form of income this close to Christmas. Makes you wonder if it was an electric vehicle that caused the fire.
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