By Keith Gushard
The Meadville Tribune
WAYNE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — An afternoon fire on New Year’s Day at a vehicle junk yard proved to be a stubborn battle for several hours, according to Chief Scott Schell of Cochranton Volunteer Fire Department.
Ten volunteer fire companies from Crawford and Venango counties were called to Patterson Auto Wrecking, 1973 Old Highway 322 south of Cochranton, to fight the blaze.
The fire was discovered around 3 p.m. Monday among junk vehicles that had been crushed and were awaiting shipping to a scrap yard, Schell said Tuesday.
There were more than 100 crushed vehicles in the area that were stacked four to five high in a line more than 150 feet long, Schell said. The fire started somewhere in the middle of the line.
The fire area was several hundred feet off Old Highway 322 and five fire hose lines had to be set up to battle the flames.
“There was no indication it was arson, but the theory, but we can’t prove, was there was a battery in one of the vehicles that shorted out eventually and caused the fire,” Schell said.
When fire crews arrived there were approximately 20 vehicles or more on fire, but the fire quickly spread to about 65 to 70 vehicles before crews started to get it under control, according to the chief.
“We had fire going in multiple directions due to them being stacked up,” he said, adding that there still were flammable materials in the vehicles that contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
There were no injuries and no appreciable damage as the vehicles had been junked, Schell added.
Cochranton was assisted at the scene by Greenwood, West Mead 1, West Mead 2, East Mead, Randolph and Vernon Central volunteer fire departments from Crawford County, plus Rocky Grove, Utica and Cooperstown volunteer fire departments from Venango County.
The last fire units returned to service after 6 p.m.
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