An automotive shop on Highway 78 burned to the ground early Wednesday morning, and it took three fire departments more than five hours to completely extinguish the blaze.
The Wayland Fire Department was called to the scene of 201 E. Highway 78 at 5:32 a.m. to find an automotive shop owned by Matt Miller totally engulfed in flames. The smoke could be seen from across town, and several concerned residents called 911.
"When we got to the scene, part of the roof was caved in," said fire chief Matt Leichty.
Mutual aid was called in from fire departments in Old and Washington, and a total of about 20 firefighters used 70,000 gallons of water to douse the blaze. Luckily, there were no other buildings close to the area, though Highway 78 had to be closed down for two-and-a-half hours due to the amount of smoke flowing over it. Firefighters remained on the scene until about 11 a.m. dousing the charred remains of the building.
"It (the fire) was contained to that location," Leichty said.
Six vehicles in various states of repair were inside the building, and about eight cars outside the building received heat damages. The building and everything inside was a total loss — including the vehicles.
"There's nothing left standing," Leichty said.
The cause of the fire in undetermined, and remains under investigation.
This article originally appeared on thehawkeye.com
