Firefighters Battle Icy Cold Conditions South of Altamont Friday

A workshop on the Paul Hooks property south of Altamont was destroyed by fire Friday evening, but no one was injured.

Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker said his department was called to the scene at 4455 E. 500th Avenue about 4pm. Becker said that Paul Hooks' son Josh was welding on a three-point hitch for a tractor, not knowing that there was a fuel leak from the tractor. Sparks from the welding torch ignited the fuel. 

Josh Hooks was able to make it safely out of the building.

Becker said the Hooks' lost the tractor as well as the tools and other items in the workshop. He said fire crews eventually used a backhoe to pretty much take the building apart to completely extinguish the fire.

Edgewood Bi-County, Shumway and St. Elmo firefighters assisted at the scene and Brownstown firefighters staffed the Altamont station in case of another call. Abbott EMS also assisted at the scene.

Becker said the firefighters battled the bitterly cold weather well, and no one was injured.

Firefighters were finally back in the station shortly after 8pm.