An overnight fire destroyed an auto dealership on the city’s north side Wednesday.
The Crawfordsville Fire Department responded shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday to reports that Affordable Auto Sales at 905 Lafayette Ave. was engulfed in flames.
“It was fully involved upon our arrival,” Battalion Chief and C-shift Captain Nate Patton said, noting crews arrived within minutes of the initial report. “We sent a first initial armed assignment — two engines, a ladder truck, a medic truck and a battalion chief. Chief (Scott) Busenbark also responded.”
The fire was extinguished quickly, Patton said, with one exception.
“We did have an issue with a small gas fire that was ongoing that we couldn’t resolve until Vectren got on scene and was able to shut the gas off,” Patton said. “We were here until about 6 this morning.”
Investigators from the office of the state fire marshal were on scene Wednesday to determine the cause of the fire, CFD Chief of Code Enforcement Brian Bechtel said.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, crews from Vectren gas company were still on scene, attempting to stop an ongoing gas leak. Bechtel said electricity to neighboring buildings at the base of Oak Hill Road was shut off to reduce the risk of complications.
Sections of Lafayette and Oak Hill roads were temporarily closed overnight to allow crews access to hydrants.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, Patton said. No injuries to firefighters or Vectren crews were reported.
The Crawfordsville Police Department also responded to assist with the temporary road closures.
