Date: Fri 23-Jan-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

fire-Orchard-Hill-Harding

Full Text:

Garage Fire On Botsford Hill Road

(with cuts)

Firefighters from three volunteer companies raced to 50 Orchard Hill Road

about 6:15 pm Wednesday and extinguished a garage fire that caused an

estimated $100,000 in building and property damage, according to Fire Marshal

George Lockwood.

The two-bay garage is on the bottom level of the Fred Harding residence. Mr

Harding was not home at the time of the blaze, but his wife and three children

were there, Mr Lockwood said. None of the occupants were injured, he said.

Mr Lockwood said that he and Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Halstead would be

investigating the cause of the blaze Thursday.

Botsford Fire Chief Steve Belair said the house in which the garage is located

is only about 18 months old. The garage was destroyed by the fire and will

have to be rebuilt due to structural damage, he said.

The fire caused heavy heat and smoke damage to the house, he said.

Also, the fire destroyed a new Volvo sedan and various equipment in the

garage.

Chief Belair, who was the first firefighter on the scene, said that when he

arrived, flames were shooting out from the garage 40 feet into the sky.

Mrs Harding and her three children were outside the house when he arrived, the

chief said.

One firefighter fell down at the fire and was treated at the scene, he said.

About 25 firemen from Botsford, Newtown Hook and Ladder, and Sandy Hook

responded to the scene. It took approximately 45 minutes to contain the blaze.

Firefighters were at the scene until about 10 pm.

The Hardings are living elsewhere because the house is uninhabitable,

according to Chief Belair.

The water used in fighting the blaze created icing problems on Orchard Hill

Road, resulting in the town road crew being called in for sanding duty.

Mr Lockwood said his investigation of the fire scene Wednesday night indicated

that the Volvo was not the cause of the fire.