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JIM THORPE BLAZE

Fire destroyed two garages in a Jim Thorpe alley Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was called in around 1 p.m. The two garages, located in the rear of the 400 block of North Street, both had their roofs collapse. No one was injured in the blaze.The fire produced a plume of black smoke that could be seen from the Mansion House Hill leading into Jim Thorpe."It looked like somebody took a bunch of tires and lit them on fire, that's how thick it was," said Keith Frankenfield, who lives a few blocks away from the scene.Diligent Fire Co. Chief Bill Diehm said that the fire was shooting through the roof when crews arrived."The guys on scene quickly called for additional units. We then called for tankers because they were taxing the water system on the east side," Diehm said.The owner of the garages, Todd Mason, said he was working in one of the buildings and came out to see his other building, separated by a narrow walkway, on fire. Even though both of his buildings were lost, he praised the fire department for their quick response."I'm just glad none of the firefighters were hurt. They were here in minutes. I was just trying to get everybody to move their vehicles (to make way for fire trucks)," he said.Chris Sargent, whose family garage next door was spared from the fire, said when he saw the plume of smoke he rushed to the scene to move a number of vehicles that could have been lost if not for the fast-acting firefighters.He said that without the quick response of firefighters, the blaze could have been worse."Diligent Fire Company, they were here instantly. There's a propane tank in the back that is filled to the brim. They saved (the garage)," he said.Firefighters from Mahoning Valley, Franklin Township, Jim Thorpe, Penn Forest, Nesquehoning, Summit Hill and Lansford all responded to the scene.Diehm said the cause of the fire is still unknown. A state police fire marshal was expected to investigate the fire Wednesday night.

Crews work to battle a fire that attacked two garages in the rear of the 400 block of North Street in Jim Thorpe Wednesday. Scan this photo with the Prindeo app to see a video and photo gallery. COPYRIGHT LARRY NEFF/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
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Diligent Fire Co. Chief Bill Diehm said the fire was shooting through the roof when crews arrived. VICTOR IZZO/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS