The fire is severely damaging the car repair business of Thistle

CHARDON, Ohio – A fire late Thursday night caused significant damage to a body and body business.

Firefighters were still fighting the hotspots of the Chardon Square car and body at 537 Water Street early Friday morning and they were expecting to stay at the site all night, Larry Gaspar said.

The fire was reported around 10:20 pm when a police officer on patrol spotted a thick smoke coming from the building, Gaspar said.

When the firefighters arrived, they tried to get inside the building, but were repelled by strong flames, he added.

Thirteen departments responded to the two-alarm fire. Gaspar said the building had a wooden-built roof on a flat roof. The sloping roof collapsed on the flat roof, making it difficult to reach the flames.

"We are having trouble bringing water to this area to completely extinguish the fire," Gaspar said.

Firefighters were also concerned about flammable liquids inside the building, Gaspar said.

No case of injury has been reported. Gaspar said the cause of the fire was unknown, but the Ohio Fire Marshal 's Office and the Geauga County Fire Investigation Unit will investigate.

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