Thompson, CT – The fire that tore through Thompson Auto Care, a long-standing business in town, has been ruled as accidental by the Thompson Fire Marshal’s Office.
At 6:39 p.m. on December 30th, 2023 the Community Fire Company was alerted to a vehicle fire at Thompson Auto Care, 1056 Riverside Dr. Upon the arrival of Chief John Sharpe, he reported that the fire had extended to the structure and the incident was upgraded to a 1st alarm structure fire bringing in fire departments from surrounding town in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. As additional personnel arrived on the scene Chief Sharpe turned Incident Command over to Assistant Chief Gene Raymond due to Chief Sharpe’s personal ties to the business. Read our full article on the fire here.
According to the Thompson Frie Marshal’s Office, a cause and origin investigation, assisted by a representative from the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit determined that a person was utilizing an acetylene torch on a vehicle within the shop when the heat of the torch against the underside of the vehicle ignited combustible materials in the passenger compartment. The person attempted to hold the fire at bay with a garden hose but was unsuccessful. The fire rapidly spread through the vehicle to combustibles around it and the building’s structure. Five vehicles were damaged in the fire and the building sustained extensive damage. The official cause has been ruled as “an accidental vehicle fire that extended to exposures including the building and other vehicles.”
Due to the amount of flammable and combustible liquids within the building, Representatives of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection HAZMAT division responded to the scene to monitor potential contamination. No intervention was immediately required.