Town Topics

5 March, 1986

Fire Destroys Garage On Drake’s Corner Road 

An early-morning fire last week destroyed a one-car garage at 437 Drake’s Corner Road. The tenant at the property, Warren Elmer, told police that he was awakened and noticed a glow out of his bedroom window. He looked and saw the rear garage enveloped in flames. A general alarm was sounded at 3:56. 

Mr. Elmer told police that he had cleaned the chimney of a wood stove used to heat the home the previous afternoon and had dumped the coals behind the garage. It is believed that the coals ignited some dry weeds next to the garage and the fire spread to the garage wall. The garage, which police said was used for storage, and its contents were destroyed. The east side of the house sustained some minor damage when heat from the fire blistered the paint. 

The owner of the garage was identified as Leighton Laughlin Jr. of Province line Road, Skillman.