Fire caused damage estimated at $100,000 to Caviness Trucking Co. Saturday morning and destroyed a tractor-trailer inside the building, according to a report from Buddy Dollarhite, chief of the Stuart Volunteer Fire Department.
Stuart VFD responded to the 3:44 a.m. fire call on Shingle Shop Road near Stuart, arriving at 3:59 a.m. Firefighters had to return to deal with hot spots three times before finishing around 2:30 p.m., Dollarhite said.
Mutual aid was provided by CCDF, Patrick Springs, Moorefield Store and Fairystone volunteer fire departments and Steve Allen, emergency management coordinator for Patrick County.
A total of 29 firefighters battled the blaze, Dollarhite said.
The J.E.B. Stuart Rescue Squad and CCDF Rescue Squad also responded to the fire.
Dollarhite said when his volunteers arrived on the scene, heavy flames were visible through an unbroken window. They broke a window to attack visible flames from outside, and then made entry by sawing a hole in a commercial bay door. The team made entry and finished extinguishing all visible flames, he said.
The truck, eaves and some commercial door thresholds were on fire, Dollarhite said. The firefighters had to use the ladder truck to attack the fire on the roof, and numerous pumper trucks to haul enough water to the fire.
Approximately 20,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire, Dollarhite said.
Temperatures were in the teens or below while the fire was being fought.
