Fire Destroys Garage

Fire fighters responded quickly Sunday afternoon when summoned to a call of a vehicle on fire in the garage of a residence at 1014 Persons Street in Monticello.

Ivan Lawrence, who lives there, said he was trying to crank the car in the garage when it backfired, and he started seeing fire coming from under the hood. He called 911 and tried to put the fire out with a garden hose. Fire fighters arrived in about 10 minutes, and were able to extinguish the blaze and save most of the home.

There is smoke and water damage in the master bedroom, which is adjacent to garage, said Fire Chief Jarrett Slocumb. The fire got in the attic from the garage, he said, but fire fighters extinguished it without major damage to the remainder of the home.

Fire fighters from stations 3 (Monticello), 5 (Piedmont community) and 1 (Jackson Lake), responded. Fire fighters were called to a possible house fire Monday, but it was a short in the electrical panel caused by a downed power line on Hwy. 212 west.