The Raceway gas station is being called a total loss after fire raced through the walls and roof of the building Wednesday morning.
According to Covington Fire Cap. Rob Christopher, a call about heavy smoke coming out of the eves of the building came in at 7:30 a.m. Within four minutes firefighters had responded and found that although there was no threat at the pumps, the interior of the building was clouded with thick, black smoke.
"There were still a couple of people inside when we arrived," said Christopher, who was quick to add that no one was injured and that there was never a threat to the gasoline pumps.
"The fire was a bit of a challenge because of the construction of the building itself," he said.
The fire appeared to have started in the storage area of the building and burned between the walls. It had traveled to the roof, but there is a layer of rubber just underneath the roof area and the fire was in there, requiring firefighters to cut into the roof to extinguish the flames.
"Once we were able to determine the location, the fire was extinguished fairly quickly," said Christopher.
The contents of the inside of the gas station are a total loss, though Christopher did not have a monetary figure as of press time. There is also major damage to the structure itself, including the roof, as well as water damage.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by Captain Tony Smith, Assistant Fire Marshal for the CPD, but according to Christopher they do not believe at this time that arson was a factor.
"This was a multi-agency incident," said Christopher. "EMS set up a rehab center to keep our firefighters cooled down and hydrated and the Covington Police Department maintained traffic control. The county fire department was also on standby in case any other calls came in while we were there. I’m thankful that everyone was able to work together and get things under control."
It is unclear when or if owners of the gas station will reopen.
