4 cars destroyed in fire at Warren muffler shop today

WARREN

The Warren fire chief says the fire at Lifetime Muffler, 2643 W. Market St., caused about $500,000 in damage and resulted in a “total loss.”

The 3:01 p.m. Monday call may have come a little late, Fire Chief Ken Nussle said, because a worker at the shop apparently tried to extinguish the flames himself with several fire extinguishers, and the fire was at an advanced stage when fire crews arrived.

The shop is just a few minutes west of the main fire station, and the response time was good, Nussle said. Everyone was out of the building when fire crews arrived, and there were no injuries.

A worker using a torch caught the car on fire, then the fire spread to other vehicles. Two vehicles, including a 1964 Corvette, were removed from the building, but four others were destroyed, Nussle said.