Six cars totaled in Tuesday's mechanic shop fire
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on March 22, 2017 10:00 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Firefighters from Goldsboro Fire Department hose down flames inside an auto mechanic shop at 313 N. Center St. this afternoon.
A fire broke out inside an auto mechanic shop at 313 N. Center St. Tuesday morning and totaled the building and six cars inside.
Assistant Goldsboro Fire Chief Eric Lancaster said all six vehicles were totaled due to extensive heat damage sustained in the blaze.
Lancaster said the building was valued at $40,000 and was totaled due to severe damage on the inside.
Nobody was inside the building at the time of the fire.
Lancatser said the fire started on the couch inside the office in the building, but an investigation was unable to discern what caused the fire to start.
The man running the auto mechanic business, identified as Gary Reid, left the shop at 1 a.m. Tuesday and said he had not been back before the fire began, Lancaster said.
All the doors to the business were secured when the blaze began, Lancaster said.
Lancaster added that there was power running to the business at the time of the fire, but said neither Reid nor the owner of the building had insurance on the building or business.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, Lancatser said.
Lancaster said the shop does not have a formal name.
Goldsboro police and Wayne County EMS also responded to the fire.
The shop is located about a block from Goldsboro City Hall, and is behind Circle Tire and Gas.