A building that housed a car dealership dating back more than 60 years was destroyed by fire Wednesday, Oct. 9.
The report of the fire at Auto Dreams Ltd. at 73 Kingston Ave. was called into Orange County's 911 center at approximately 11:20 a.m. A caller reported smoke coming from a garage on the site. By the time fire units arrived minutes later, the entire back portion of the building was ablaze. Wind fanned the flames, which quickly spread from back to front and across the width of the building. For a time, the fire appeared to threaten nearby houses that were being protected by fire apparatus and firefighters who trained water on the blaze.
Thick black smoke filled the fire scene and extended throughout neighborhoods as multiple fire departments arrived. Water was pumped from all sides. The blaze was declared out at 12:33 p.m.