Fire chief: Port Jervis dealership wasn’t designed to properly protect itself from fire

Fire officials say flames engulfed the Auto Dreams Group on Kingston Avenue around 11:30 a.m.

News 12 Staff

Oct 10, 2019, 10:54 AM

Updated 1,660 days ago

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Investigators are still investigating what caused a Port Jervis car dealership to go up in flames Wednesday. 
Flames broke out at Auto Dreams dealership on Kingston Avenue Wednesday morning.

Firefighters responded quickly, but their fight against the flames wasn't easy.

"That fire was a fast-moving fire,” says Port Jervis Deputy Fire Chief Jim Rohner. "The method of construction plays into that a lot."

Rohner says when the building was constructed decades ago it wasn't built to properly protect itself from fire. 

"The roof was truss construction,” he says. "When the fire gets up in a truss roof area, it can spread very rapidly."

In a matter of minutes, flames took off from one side of the building to another taking everything with it, including some vehicles.
An Orange County investigation team is still conducting the investigation.
 


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