Market Street fire started in vacant house

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A fire that destroyed a Market Street asphalt business last week started in a vacant house next to the building.

Capt. Alvin Ware of the fire department’s Fire Investigation Unit said Friday the building is extremely close to the house, which was in the back of the home.

“They actually built the building around the house,” Ware said.

Ware said even though investigators know where the fire began, they do not yet know how it started. Ware said the vacant home did not have any utilities, and there were old tires left inside.

He said insurance investigators for the business and the owner of the building also are looking into the cause of the blaze.

One of the business owners, Bob Roth, said at the time of the fire he thought it started around the back of the building, which is where the house was. The house went up in flames and also was destroyed.

Fire crews who were first on the scene tried to save the business but were ordered out of the building after the roof started sagging. Eventually, the business was consumed by flames, and smoke and explosions from gas and propane that were stored inside occasionally occurred.

Roth said he did not manufacture asphalt at the business but bought it from other suppliers. The business employs 20 people and has been around for 15 years, seven at the Market Street location. The business does commercial parking-lot seal coating and crack and pothole patching, according to its website.

Roth said he plans to remain in business and has insurance. About a dozen vehicles inside at the time of the fire also were destroyed.