Dozens of firefighters battled a fast-moving blaze at a hardware store in the town of Vestal. The fire at the Home Central store at 199 Stage Road was reported around 1:45 p.m. Thursday. The Vestal fire department was assisted by units from neighboring communities, including Endicott and West Corners. The business is located just east of North Main Street. Huge plumes of smoke from the blaze were visible for several miles. The fire scene is a short distance south of Route 17. Police were dispatched to the highway to prevent motorists from slowing down in an effort to view the firefighting operations.