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Quick Response Saves Business from Destruction

TEXAS TOWNSHIP — A faulty appliance may have caused a fire at a business that sells and fixes things like chainsaws and mowers in Wayne County. Employees ...

TEXAS TOWNSHIP -- A faulty appliance may have caused a fire at a business that sells and fixes things like chainsaws and mowers in Wayne County.

Employees at Aigner Small Engine Repair Center assessed the damage hours after flames ripped through the business along Route 6 near Honesdale.

Photos from Alert Hook and Ladder #2's Facebook page show smoke pouring from the building shortly after 2 a.m. Crews were able to stop the flames from destroying the entire place and everything in it.

"They said 15 minutes later the entire building would have been gone. They wouldn't have been able to save it," said employee Leslie Schnakenberg.

Employees showed us what investigators believe started the fire; a mini fridge. You can even see where the flames melted down containers with oil just short of adding fuel to the fire.

"A car driving by. Someone happened to glance over the right time, saw flames coming through the roof. called the fire department. they were here in two minutes," she added.

When that fire overnight damaged some of the shop, a lot of the customers' equipment outside was spared, so was some equipment inside. That's been moved to the landlord's next door.

"We need to act like neighbors and good neighbors. Robert (Wohning) has been good to me," said landlord Mike Schwab.

While Aigner Small Engine Repair Center waits for the insurance company to determine what's covered, employees will work on customers' equipment spared by the fire at the neighboring shop all thanks to the volunteer fire crews who answered the call in the middle of the night.

"They showed up with a lot of assets last night, and quality personnel and I can`t say enough good about the Honesdale Fire Department," added Schwab.

Aigner employees said customer records were destroyed and those folks should give them a call.

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