UPDATED
Tisbury firefighters responded to a garage fire on West Spring Street Tuesday at about 8:05 pm.
Nadine Barrett, a neighbor, told The Times she heard an explosion after the fire was underway. “I was outside looking at the smoke, and she said, ‘Something’s on fire.’ I said, ‘I know, I smell it,’” Barrett said. “I heard, ‘Boom!’ Something blew up.”
Barrett described the building as a garage used by the homeowner as a paint shop where he works on cars.
Tisbury Fire Chief John Schilling said there was a significant blaze in the structure when his firefighters arrived, but “they knocked it down fast.”
Chief Schilling said the owner is a painting contractor who had the tools and equipment of that trade in the building, along with woodworking equipment. He said some small explosions did occur, likely from trailer tires and supplies in the building.
No one was injured, he said; however, there was a search for two dogs, which were eventually found safe.
Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury responded, with West Tisbury covering Tisbury’s station. Schilling said Edgartown and Oak Bluffs were released shortly after arriving, though an Oak Bluffs rehab truck remained on scene for firefighters.
The fire was not far from the town’s Emergency Services Facility, which houses the fire department. Schilling said this aided the response. He said it also helped that a hydrant was close by.
He said he was “very proud” of his department for performing admirably, after three months without drills or much in-person contact.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, he said.
