MANCHESTER, NH – Fire destroyed a local auto repair business Sunday morning.
According to Manchester District Fire Chief Al Poulin, fire crews responded to Reynolds Automotive, 836 Candia Road, at about 9:49 on Jan. 27. Engine 8 was first on the scene, arriving at 9:53 a.m. to find heavy fire coming through the roof of the shop, Poulin said.
“Within about five or ten minutes the fire had consumed the roof and we had a complete collapse of the roof trusses,” Poulin said.
A few firefighters were partially inside the 50-by-100-foot building when the roof collapsed, so they quickly made their way out and began “defensive operations,” Poulin said, which included fighting the fire from the outside using ladder trucks. It took a “large volume” of water to finally get the fire knocked out, which took about an hour.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The building is a total loss. The business was closed at the time of the fire. It is a free-standing building located behind Candia Convenience.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury when he bit his tongue, Poulin said.
