Fire at auto dealer quickly extinguished

Posted 7/25/18

A local car dealership was damaged by fire early Wednesday morning.

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Fire at auto dealer quickly extinguished

Posted

HILLCREST — A local car dealership was damaged by fire early Wednesday morning.
Hillcrest Fire Department responded a short time after 2 a.m. to the Auto Hub, located at 211 Powers Rd. in Hillcrest. According to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department, a burglar alarm went off inside the building, causing a deputy to respond to the location.
Upon arrival in the area, black smoke was seen coming from inside the building.

“The fire was reported by an Ogle County deputy who was responding to a burglar alarm at the business,” Hillcrest Fire Chief Steve Builta. “Initial responding fire units Rochelle Engine 3 and Hillcrest Engine 5123 found smoke coming from the building. The fire was located in the garage area of the business.”
Crews from Rochelle, Hillcrest, Flagg Center, Steward and Creston responded to the scene and were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
“A vehicle in the garage area and some equipment was damaged during the fire,” Builta added.
 The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time. Cost damage is estimated to be more than $70,000 due to the damage to the car in the garage and smoke in the building.
One fireman was taken by ambulance to Rochelle Community Hospital for precautionary reasons as he became ill at the scene.