A Friday fire at the Cole’s Truck Parts building on state Route 23 in the town of Davenport destroyed the structure, fire officials said. The fire was reported to dispatchers at about 12:15 p.m. There were no injuries, officials said.
The fire started in the section of the building being rented by Don’s Diesel, owned by Don Utter, son of Davenport Fire Chief Fred Utter.
Don Utter was working on a skid-steer, when a battery exploded, Fred Utter said. When the fire started to spread, the younger Utter tried to remove some vehicles, and when he opened a door on the building, it accelerated the blaze. Chief Utter said when he arrived on scene the fire was “heavily involved.”
While building owner Russel Cole had insurance, Don’s Diesel Repair was not covered for its equipment, Utter said.
Lisa Fisher, a daughter of Cole and a bookkeeper for his business, was at the scene while firefighters from many departments assisted Davenport Fire in extinguishing the blaze.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Fisher said. “It was kind of surreal.” Her business was closed at the time, only Don Utter and his wife were working in the building.
Fisher said her father wants to rebuild the business, which repairs and services trucks and heavy equipment. He was out of town when the fire began, but returned later that day. He was at the scene Friday evening helping firefighters go through the debris, Fisher said.
The Davenport Fire Department received mutual aid from departments that included: Bloomville, Charlotteville, East Meredith, Franklin, Jefferson, Meridale, Oneonta, Pindars Corners, Schenevus, Stamford, West Oneonta. Utter said his department returned to the station after 7 p.m.
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