A blaze that broke out shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday destroyed an auto repair shop and a granite-countertop business sharing a building on Road 24.2 in Montezuma County.
Cortez Fire Chief Jeff Vandevoorde tells KSJD the blaze may have been sparked by a vehicle battery on a charger. The fire, fueled by some 60 tires, gutted the structure, but no one was injured. Vandevoorde says two dozen firefighters from the Cortez, Towaoc, Lewis-Arriola, Dolores and Mancos fire departments responded with engines, tankers and other units. Also on Monday, the Cortez Fire District had to douse a blaze that threatened a new rubber barrier at the county landfill.
