A man was critically burned Thursday in a blaze that destroyed a two‑story detached garage in southeastern Berks County and drew fire crews from Chester and Lancaster counties, a state police fire marshal said.
Birdsboro‑Union Fire Department and neighboring companies were dispatched at 11:38 a.m. to the garage in the 200 block of Mullen Road in Union Township.
Trooper Corey Heimbach of the Reading‑based Troop L Fire Marshal Unit provided this account:
Firefighters arrived at the remote property to find the roughly 80‑by‑40‑foot garage fully engulfed and partially collapsed. A burn victim was found in the yard outside the structure.
Crews rendered aid to the man while also protecting a nearby house and several vehicles from catching fire. With no hydrants in the area, numerous tankers were called to shuttle water to the scene, including units from Chester and Lancaster counties.
It took firefighters more than an hour to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters remained on scene for about three hours, extinguishing hot spots with the help of heavy equipment.
The fire originated on the first floor in an area where vehicles were being repaired and was ruled accidental, Heimbach said.
A male occupant had been welding when the fire broke out. He suffered burns to his face, neck and hands but managed to escape the building and yell for help. He was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital, where he was reported to be in critical but stable condition.
No firefighters were injured. Damage is estimated at more than $1 million.
Berks County property records show the parcel includes a residence and is owned by a Pottstown man.
A Google Maps satellite image shows about a dozen trucks parked outside the garage. An online search of the address indicates it was the former location of Sam’s Hub Cab & Wheel Accessories, which is listed as permanently closed.