Fire destroys family garage in Jefferson Twp.
JEFFERSON TWP — The “Garage Mahal,” as the building was known in the area, was destroyed by fire at around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Ron Hawk, HAZMAT lieutenant with Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company, said no one was injured in the fire, which torched the garage situated behind the unoccupied house at 228 Saxonburg Road. Hawk said it may have been a close call.
“One person was welding a pickup truck, and then he caught another piece of the truck on fire,“ Hawk said. ”Then he noticed the truck was burning pretty good, and it caught the garage on fire. Everyone got out with no problem.“
Nic Oesterling, the nephew of the house’s deceased owners, who called the building the Garage Mahal, said there were some other collectible vehicles in the three-door garage, as well as several gallons of paint. There were also hydraulic lifts in the garage and tools, used by his uncle before he died.
“Every tool that you would need as a mechanic was in there,” Oesterling said. “He collected classic cars for years.”
Hawk said the building was a total loss, and the truck being worked on was destroyed as well.
“I’m going to say about $250,000 would be the cost to rebuild something like this,” Hawk said.
The fire was extinguished by around 5:15 p.m., and crews spent another hour with the clean up of the scene.
Butler Township Volunteer Fire District and Buffalo Township, East Butler and Herman volunteer fire companies also responded to the fire.
