Fire destroys Athol shop
An exploding battery may have contributed to a Tuesday fire that destroyed an Athol area shop.
When Selkirk Fire responded to a reported structure fire on Rock Springs Road in Athol at 10:07 p.m., fire crews found the shop building engulfed in flames and threatening nearby structures, officials reported on social media. The shop had a heavy fuel load creating additional challenges for firefighters.
That water tender was staffed with a single firefighter, which caused initial actions to be defensive in nature with the focus on protecting nearby structures, Selkirk Fire officials said. However, additional Selkirk Fire crews soon arrived as well as crews from Timberlake and Northside fire departments.
Firefighters controlled the blaze in about an hour. Damage was limited to the shop and its contents and there were no injuries.
While the cause remains under investigation, the homeowner believes an exploding battery that was being charged may have started the fire.
"We would like to thank our mutual aid partners for their assistance on this incident," Jeff Armstrong, Selkirk Fire chief, said in the post. "These partnerships are essential to our success."