"Hot kettle machine" for hot tar to blame for fire in garage at NR Asphalt & Pavement Maintenance

WEST BEND -- Officials with the Washington County Sheriff's Office say a hot kettle machine is to blame for a garage fire that happened in West Bend early on Thursday morning, May 19th.

It happened shortly after 5:30 a.m. at "NR Asphalt & Pavement Maintenance" on Highway 144 near Pleasant Drive.

A caller reported black smoke coming from the garage.

A second caller reported a hot kettle machine for hot tar was inside the garage.

Deputies arriving at the scene around 5:45 a.m. observed black smoke coming out of all sides of the garage, but no flames were observed. Deputies on scene closed the roadway to traffic.

The garage was vented to remove the smoke.

A pickup truck with the attached hot kettle machine was removed from the garage.

Firefighters learned of a fire in the attic of the garage, which was extinguished.

The investigation has revealed there was some sort of mechanical or electrical failure with the hot kettle machine which started a fire on the machine.

The fire caused approximately $25,000 worth of damage to the garage due to the attic fire and approximately $15,000 worth of damage to the hot kettle machine.

The garage was not occupied at the time of the fire. No one was hurt.