BALLINGER, Texas — The Ballinger Fire Department, along with multiple area fire crews, battled a large structure fire that broke out just before 8 p.m. Saturday.
According to the Ballinger Police Department, the fire consumed the Ballinger Home Health office storage garage on N. 9th Street, located only several hundred feet away from the BFD headquarters. Fire crews were able to stop the blaze without it spreading to the surrounding structures. No one was in the building at the time and no injuries were reported.
"Of course, all the volunteers responded to it," BPD Lt. (and BFD firefighter) Stanley Maresch said Sunday morning. "We also had additional, I believe it was like 11 different other agencies that came out and helped with us, including all of Runnels County volunteer services, Wall, Paint Rock, Mereta, Eden, Quail Valley and East Concho."
Several surrounding buildings and vehicles were damaged, including a pickup truck in the Ballinger Home Health garage.
"China Wok, City Eye Care, Apples-N-Spice, and of course Home Health," Maresch said. "Some smoke damage, some fire damage, like the vinyl siding was damaged, Apples-N-Spice had a transport vehicle they use for the floral business that was damaged by fire."
Right now the BFD isn't speculating on a cause for the fire.
"We called in the State Fire Marshal's Office to help with the investigation, and just kind of waiting on them and waiting on everything to cool down so we can get in there and find out what's going on," Maresch said.