SCOTT TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Crews battled a garage fire at an equipment rental service Friday night along Layton Road.
According to a Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) press release, crews responded to the 700 block of Justus Boulevard at Powell's Sales Service and Rental for a reported structure fire just before 8:00 p.m.
When on-scene, Justus Volunteer Fire Company Assistant Fire Chief Justin Stalica states that crews witnessed fire and smoke coming from one of the buildings on the five building property.
This building housed some of the equipment and where some of the repairs to the equipment and vehicles take place.
The releases states that the building started to collapse on itself during firefighting efforts
Officials say the fire then extended to other nearby structures including a building that is used to paint and touch up vehicles.
It was then upgraded to a second and then third alarm because of the severity of the fire.
Credit: Todd Williams
Stalica states that the lack of hydrants in the area resulted in tankers from three other counties being called in to help battle the blaze.
Authorities say that thick and double walls made the process of getting the fire under control hard because they had to tears down them down to get to fire that got in between them.
The fire was ruled under control at around 10:00 p.m., according to Stalica.
Stalica says crews were on-scene doing overhaul until around 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
Crews from Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wyoming, and Wayne counties responded to the scene to battle the blaze.
The equipment rental and repair building had to be torn down with an excavator on the property due to extensive damage, according to authorities.
The building was closed at the time, and there were no injuries, according to the release
A Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, but because of the extensive damage, was not able to determine the cause.
The investigation is still ongoing.
