Disaster struck a car restoration firm on Christmas Day. The entire facility belonging to the company went up in flames in Pennsylvania. The business is a total loss. Several cars were trapped inside.
More than one hundred firefighters from 13 local fire departments located in two different counties battled the blaze that engulfed the 48,000-square-foot facility on Killen Road, in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
The Roadster Factory used to supply parts for vintage British sports cars, with a focus on quality, originality, and performance. The firm replicated original function and appearance of the components that they manufactured for themselves as well as selected parts manufactured by other companies for distribution, promising "great value for the money spent."
Now, the entire business was declared a total loss by the fire chief after the place burned for a whole day.
The Armagh and East Wheatfield Fire Department received a call at around 1 AM on the Christmas morning and fire crews arrived at the scene minutes later. In the afternoon, they were still going through the remains of the building to extinguish hotspots that might have reignited the fire.
Founded back in 1978 by Charles Runyan, The Roadster Factory was manufacturing and supplying parts for vintage British sports cars from carmakers such as Triumph and MG. The business was a British Motor Heritage Approved Supplier with direct access to original equipment parts, with an intention to fill a void for classic car collectors and enthusiasts.
At the moment of the fire, there were several vehicles inside. Only three of them were removed by firefighters before the roof of the metal structure that was sheltering them collapsed.
The fire chief of the Armagh and East Wheatfield Volunteer Fire Department decided to get his crews out and away from the building in order to avoid injuries at the scene. "I think it was like 10 minutes to after 3 when we blew the airhorns for everyone to get out," he told to CBS News after the crews managed to put out the fire.
Firefighters tore the remains of the building down to make sure the fire would not start again and nobody would be tempted to go inside what was left standing and get injured.
Authorities have yet to confirm the number of cars lost in the fire. An investigation to determine the cause of the fire is underway.
No serious injuries were reported. Several fighters sustained minor injuries from working with debris. The owner of The Roadster Factory, Albert Runyan, was at the scene watching firefighters battle the blaze. He declined to comment on the event.
As reported by Hagerty, the firefighters also had difficulties with the equipment as hoses were springing leaks, and fire trucks were running low on fuel after idling for so many hours. Water supply was also insufficient.
Google News