Early morning fire claims Newton Tire

Authorities and fire department personnel responded to a fire at Newton Tire after 2 a.m. Tuesday morning. The structure, located on U.S. Highway 80 West in front of Walmart, remains standing but endured significant damage.

“It was around 2 o’clock this morning. We got the call a little bit after 2. All three stations responded and we had a few off duty personnel,” Demopolis Fire and Rescue Department Interim Chief Tommy Tate said. “It was a heavy fire in the rear of the building. We were able to contain it to the building, protect exposures. A lot of heavy smoke and fire, but we were able to contain it. No injuries with any of the firemen.”

Personnel from the state fire marshall’s office joined with the DFRD and the Demopolis POlice Department throughout the day Tuesday to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Tate noted that it would likely take several days for the investigation to be complete and that the cause had yet to be determined as of Tuesday evening.

“It was a tough firefight to get it under control. It probably took about an hour or so to get it under control. We’ve been at it all day trying to investigate the cause of it,” Tate said.

WestAlabamaWatchman.com will have more updates as they become available.