STRONG - A fire that damaged George Tomol Auto Sales on Feb. 26 remains undetermined.
Brian Hollenbush, Mount Carmel Township fire marshal, said Tuesday that he collected evidence, but has not ruled on the cause of the early-morning blaze.
He and Shamokin Patrolman Raymond Siko II, who serves as the city's fire investigator, did determine the fire started in the basement at the rear of the building, where vehicles and equipment were stored. One car was destroyed and several others were damaged.
Firefighters were pressed into action around 5:15 a.m. by a PennDOT operator passing by the decades-old business located along Route 61 near the intersection with Route 54. Firefighters were able to control the fire in under an hour.
A firefighter from Mount Carmel suffered a minor ankle injury when he fell through a burned-out stairwell while helping to extinguish the fire.
