SOUTHAMPTON — The owner of a truck repair shop on Pequot Road believes a fire and explosion that could be heard far and wide Saturday night was intentionally set, though authorities say the cause remains under investigation.
Jay’s Mobile Truck Repair, at 77 Pequot Road, was completely engulfed in flames by the time the Southampton Fire Department responded just after 7:30 p.m., according to Chief Richard Fasoli.
Fasoli said there were multiple explosion noises, one of which he could hear from his home on County Road in Southampton. No injuries were reported, and the building was left in disrepair, Fasoli said.
“I could see the smoke from my house,” he said.
SUBMITTED / Richard Fasoli
The fire is under investigation by the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the Department of Fire Services, which plans to inspect the property on Tuesday.
Cyr told the Gazette that he believes the fire was intentionally set, though authorities have not determined the cause of the blaze.
He said he has shared his suspicions about a person he knows with investigators. Cyr said he had previously allowed the person to stay on the Pequot Road property before eventually asking him to leave.
On Saturday night, Cyr said he drove by his shop less than an hour before the fire started and was later alerted to the blaze by a friend.
Cyr said that when he arrived, he walked around the shop and found a truck outside ablaze. He believes the truck was set on fire, causing the explosion and a larger fire, adding that the truck had been sitting there for five years with no battery or diesel in it. He said there was no reason for it to explode unless it was caused by something.
“The batteries weren’t hooked up, so there was no electrical supply to cause this to go on fire,” Cyr said about the truck.
Fasoli said a fire likely caused the initial explosion, though investigators have not ruled out the possibility that an explosion occurred first. Two trucks and equipment inside the building were also destroyed, along with multiple trailers outside.
“We’re not quite sure what exploded. It’s a truck repair shop so there are a lot of chemicals there, fuel, oil,” Fasoli said, adding that truck tires bursting could have also been one of the noises heard.
The Easthampton Fire Department used its ladder truck to spray the fire from above, while crews from Southampton, Westfield and Holyoke pulled lines from nearby hydrants and sprayed from around the building.
Fasoli said he contacted the state Department of Environmental Protection and a hazmat inspection from state fire services for an inspection. The water and air quality was tested and both were deemed safe, not requiring further inspection, he said. Eversource, and Holyoke Gas and Electric, were contacted to halt power and gas lines to the building as well.
Cyr said he is waiting for the inspection results to come in before taking further action, but the response from the community has been overwhelming, with many people checking on him and the shop. In the meantime, he will continue to work at different shops in the area.
“I’ve got so many people stopping by saying, ‘I love you, I see you working here everyday, we want to help,'” Cyr said.
