Fire, heavy smoke damage car shop in the Town of Hartford

TOWN OF HARTFORD (WITI) -- Fire breaks out at a car shop in the Town of Hartford on Saturday evening, November 1st.

According to officials, a passerby notified the Washington County Sheriff’s Office around 7:30 p.m. of a possible fire inside Car Doctors located on State Highway 83.

After getting into the business, Hartford Firefighters quickly found the source of the smoke and extinguished a developing fire. However, officials say the building’s configuration and past re-modeling made overhaul efforts extremely difficult.

State Highway 83 between Monroe Ave. and Lee Rd. was closed for about three hours. Preliminary damage estimates are in excess of $50,000. Nobody was hurt in the fire.

Assisting the Hartford Fire Department at the scene were the following departments: Jackson, Neosho, Richfield, Slinger, St. Lawrence, and Lifestar Ambulance. The Hartford Police Department also assisted with traffic control.

While the cause of the fire does not appear to be suspicious, the matter remains under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.