Wood Street Fire Destroys Garage

With billowing smoke filling the air a fire of undetermined origin destroyed a garage on the estate of the late Jenny Hammond yesterday afternoon. The garage faces Wood Street and sits behind the Washington Street trailer home of the late Mrs. Hammond. At one time it was used as Jenny's Beauty Shop according to Mrs. Hammond's relatives. Wood Street resident Mrs. Opal Lombardozzi told me her husband Mike called in the alarm. The Lombardozzis are in the process of moving back into their home across the street from the garage. Lately the garage had only been used for storage.

According to this morning's papers the fire was called in at 1:47 and the State Fire Marshall has been asked to help investigate the cause. It was a quick burning fire. By the time I grabbed my camera and got to the scene shortly after 2 o'clock the WVFD had the fire knocked down and the garage was gone. The rear of the unoccupied trailer was slightly damaged in the blaze and a next door garage got some fire damage to the eaves of that building. Check out Jo Ann Bobby-Gilbert's spectacular picture in the MJ. With the way the flames were shooting out and our dry weather conditions neighbors were fearful it was going to rapidly spread to other buildings in that closely space neighborhood.

Those fears were quickly laid to rest with the professional and commendable job performed by our village firefighters. All that training pays out big dividends holding down collateral damage in such a situation. It's nice to have them around.

ole nib