Flames tore through an auto body shop in Cohasset, Massachusetts on Thursday afternoon destroying the business and an apartment upstairs.
“If the winds were blowing in the opposite direction, my home definitely would have caught on fire,” said Michelle Hartford, who lives next door. “I just put a new roof on, so it would have been a disaster.”
Firefighters say mechanics at Hajj Auto Body Care, located at 147 South St., were working on a car outside when they saw smoke coming from one of the garage bays.
The fire spread quickly, and it was especially dangerous, with ammunition and chemicals inside.
Oil from the garage spilled into the storm drain system creating a hazmat situation, which led authorities to try and contain the damage, according to Assistant Cohasset Fire Chief John Dockray.
“It’s a mess,” said Hartford. “There’s oil and water everywhere, my gardens are ruined and there’s about five feet of water in my backyard. All I care about is that the firemen are not hurt and not in danger and nobody got hurt inside the building.”
The fire grew to 4-alarms involving fire departments from the neighboring communities of Scituate, Norwell, Hingham and Hull.
