T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Swegard’s Used Auto Parts caught on fire late Monday night leading to the business and home being deemed a total loss by Powhatan Point Fire Department. Late night structure fire deemed total loss

POWHATAN POINT — Powhatan Point Fire Department and Emergency Squad responded to a structure fire at Swegard’s Used Auto Parts late Monday night.

Assistant fire chief Jim Delman said that the department was called out to Cats Run Road at 11:25 p.m. and was able to leave the scene at 3 a.m.

“The residence was occupied with three adults and two children. They all escaped safely without injury,” Delman said.

Due to the remoteness of the location, Belmont County Tank Force automatically responded with seven tankers and three engines.

Sunset Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Spirit of 76 Volunteer Fire Department, Barnesville Fire Department, Moundsville Volunteer Fire Department, Beallsville Volunteer Fire Department, Belmont Volunteer Fire Department, Smith Township Volunteer Fire Department, Brilliant Volunteer Fire Department, Roberts Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department, OR & W Fire District and the Salvation Army Canteen all arrived to combat the flames.

Delman added that Belmont County engineer Terry Lively ensured the road to the fire was taken care of which he commended Lively’s crew for taking care of the roads so fast.

“Cat’s Run Road was actually in excellent condition. It was now covered, a little bit of snow on it, you know. But it was in great shape,” Delman said.

He said that the home that doubles as a scrap yard was a total loss.

Delman said that despite containing the fire in the early morning, the department received multiple calls on Tuesday to tell him that the structure had reignited.

“It started falling into the basement when we kind of said ‘that’s enough, it’s going to fall in there and it’s going to burn up. It’s not going to go anywhere or do any damage to anything else,'” he said. “We received a couple calls today that people went by and they saw it burning. You know, so we never responded because we knew that it was okay. It was in the foundation. It wasn’t going anywhere.”