Fire destroys Philipsburg auto shop

Flames at Scaife’s Affordable Tire and Auto Repair in Philipsburg kept local fire companies preoccupied for almost five hours on Monday.

At about 11:40 a.m. Chester Hill Hose Company — joined by Hope, Reliance, Columbia, Houtzdale, Mountain Top and Morris Township fire companies — was called to the scene.

William Hummel, Chester Hill’s fire chief, said something sparked while the shop’s staff was working on a customer’s vehicle. The resulting fire spread quickly.

“It pretty much got the whole building,” Hummel said.

This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Fire destroys Philipsburg auto shop."