Published Friday, December 27, 2002
Larissa Theodore
Herald Staff Writer
A one-level Sharpsville building housing four businesses caught fire Thursday evening.
Firefighters responded at about 5:07 p.m. to the fire at LaVan Electric Motor Repair, 2000 Hickory St., which also houses Clean World Industries, Double J. Boatworks and Alban Construction.
The fire started at LaVan Electric from a motor baking in an oven, said Sharpsville Fire Chief Andrew Totin.
The shop does electric motor repairs which can include rewinding the wires inside a motor and coating them with insulation. The process also requires baking them.
That's apparently what Jerry LaVan was doing when a fire started in the oven, Totin said. It was confined to the shop.
No one was injured.
One neighbor, who identified himself only as Charlie, said he went outside to see what was happening when he hear sirens outside his home.
What he saw was thick smoke and flames shooting from the roof of the building.
He said he watched as firefighters quickly put out the flames but smoke continued to pour from a side section of the building where LaVan's repair shop is.
Penn Power and National Fuel employees shut off utilities to the building, Totin said. The building, which is for sale, is owned by Gary Baniel of Transfer. Efforts to reach him Thursday night were unsuccessful.
Both Baniel and LaVan are covered by insurance for the building and its contents, Totin said. The insurance company will do an inventory and damage estimate, he added.
E.A.Winslow &Associates, an engineering firm, and Alexander Construction Co. formerly were located in the building before Baniel bought it, Totin said.
Sharpsville, South Pymatuning and Hermitage firefighters assisted Sharpsville at the scene. Rural Metro provided standby medical assistance.