VIDEO: A tire shop and apartments went up in flames in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County Friday. The damage was so bad that a dozen departments were called, and crews had to knock down the building.
"It was a bad fire," said Alan Perrin, who lives nearby. "It was a mess."
"With an automotive shop, we're talking about tires, oils, fuels," said Coolbaugh Twp. Fire Chief George Dobson. "That all adds to the fire alert." The smell of burnt rubber remained strong hours later.
A dozen fire departments from Monroe, Wayne and Lackawanna counties were called to Coolbaugh Township just before 10 a.m. Friday. The fire on Route 611 was just down the road from the Pocono Mountain Intermediate School.
"Very quickly confirmed the structure was compromised," said Dobson.