Smith Street fire under investigation

A fire that occurred on Smith Street early Sunday morning was under investigation by Washington County Fire Investigators earlier this week.

Officials said accidental or natural causes were not noted at the fire that heavily damaged a garage at 9 Smith Street.

Members of the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company were dispatched to the scene around 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

The fire, which WVFC president Brian Brooks described as “stubborn,” took about three hours to completely extinguish.

Brooks said shortly after arriving the fire “rolled over,” blowing out windows on each end of the structure.

No one was hurt in the blaze but a number of items in the garage, including tools, were destroyed. Because firefighters were able to knock down the flames quickly, the adjacent house escaped any damage.