1 killed, 3 injured in two separate repair shop fires last week
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Four people have been injured and one person killed after two separate auto repair shops caught fire last week according to multiple media reports.
The owner of a Missouri auto repair shop was killed and a second person injured during an explosion that happened on Oct. 16, according to KCTV.
Police told media they were called to Hart’s Auto Repair Shop in Excelsior Springs just after 1 p.m. They said the shop’s owner, who has not been identified, was cutting into a 55-gallon drum with a cutting torch when the drum exploded, causing the fire.
The man who was injured was taken to a local hospital but is expected to recover, KCTV says.
Another fire broke out at Tao’s Auto Service in Pennsylvania at about 6 p.m. on Oct. 16, according to CBS News. It says three firefighters were taken to local hospitals. Two suffered burns and a third an injured ankle.
The cause of the fire has not been reported.
Those in Excelsior Springs were mourning the loss of the repair shop owner in the days after the fire.
Lt. Ryan Dowdy of the Excelsior Springs Police Department told KCTV that it was a family-owned business that had been in the town for a long time.
Those gathering around the shop the next day said the repair industry lost a great friend in the fire.
Kevin O’Connell, a competing repair shop owner, told KCTV that the staff at Hart’s Auto Repair Shop treated everyone like family.
“He was all about his customers,” O’Connell said about the owner of Hart’s. “We’re visibly shaken by it when I heard about it because he was there for his customers. He wasn’t there for himself.”
O’Connell said his own shop became more popular because Hart’s “looked out for him.”
“He worked hand in hand with us — getting parts from us, getting help that way,” O’Connell said. “It was really enjoyable to talk and help him. Makes the job more fun and good.”
The owner of Hart’s was always willing to share expertise with others.
“He was always willing to share his knowledge and build the industry up in a positive manner,” O’Connell said.
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