Truck catches fire Christmas Eve at company in Prospect

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By Elio Gugliotti, Editor

Smoke drifts out of a commercial garage at Tice Lawn Maintenance at 103 Cheshire Road in Prospect on Dec. 24. A landscaping dump truck inside the garage caught fire and was destroyed. –CONTRIBUTED BY ED MALASPINA

PROSPECT — A Christmas Eve fire destroyed a dump truck at a landscaping company on Cheshire Road.

Firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at Tice Lawn Maintenance, 103 Cheshire Road, at 5:07 p.m. Dec. 24, said Ed Malaspina, a firefighter and public information officer for the Volunteer Fire Department of Prospect.

When firefighters arrived on the scene four minutes later, Malaspina said smoke was coming out of a commercial garage that housed landscaping vehicles and equipment. He said firefighters went into the garage and found a landscaping dump truck on fire.

Malaspina said firefighters had the fire under control within 20 minutes. No one was injured, he said.

Malaspina said the truck sustained heavy damage and other landscaping tools were damaged in the fire. He said the building sustained some damage, but is still useable.

The Cheshire and Bethany volunteer fire departments provided mutual aid at the scene.

“They provided not only support but manpower,” Malaspina said.

Fire Marshal Tony Muniz said the fire was accidental. He said the fire started somewhere in the dashboard area of the truck, which is a total loss.