Fire damages Love’s Auto Shop in Faith
Published 7:47 pm Tuesday, December 24, 2024
The corner of a residence affected by a late afternoon fire on Cemetery Drive in Faith Tuesday afternoon can be seen on the right side of the photo, and behind the swingest on the left is the roofline of Loves Auto Repair, which suffered more extensive damage in the fire. Photo by Elisabeth Strillacci
Firefighters had to vent parts of the roofline to put out hotspots that remained after most of the fire at Loves Auto Repair Shop was extinguished Tuesday afternoon, and bits of the tree trunks continued to smolder. The fire started just before 4 p.m. and was knocked down within 30 minutes. The house next door suffered exterior damage that included the loss of power. Photo by Elisabeth Strillacci
FAITH — A call that initially came in as a residential fire about 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon ended up being a commercial fire at Loves Auto Repair at 30005 Cemetery Drive in Faith.
Although the cause has not yet been determined, the fire did reach the residence next door, causing minor damage. The damage to the home is to the exterior, according to Andrew King of the Rowan County Fire Marshal’s office, but the home is without power and Duke Energy will have to establish new service once the repairs are made. The Red Cross is helping the residents, who were home at the time and who were not injured.
The shop has more extensive damage, and at one point a hazardous materials response was requested because of a potential leak. A third alarm was also struck and a tanker task force, consisting of tankers relaying water to the site and refilling, was dispatched.
The initial smoke from the fire was a large black cloud, likely from some of the chemicals, but the fire was extinguished quickly. King said the fire remains under investigation.
