PORT CARBON - After five hours of digging through the charred ruins of Ric's Service Station in East Norwegian Township on Friday, state police Fire Marshal John F. Burns was hesitant to put his finger on the cause.
"I found the area of origin. I just want to check a couple things out before I make any kind of definitive comment," Burns said at 2:45 p.m. Friday outside the business at 542 Port Carbon-Saint Clair Highway.
He wouldn't say if he believed the fire was accidental or suspicious.
East Norwegian Township fire Chief Gary Gorman wouldn't speculate on the cause of the fire.
"It could go either way. It could be that it is suspicious or it could be accidental. The best call we can make in this township is to call the fire marshal from the start whether we have any suspicion or not so that all bases are covered," Brian Murray, an assistant chief with East Norwegian Township, said Friday.
The owner of the service station is Ricardo J. "Ric" Marks Jr., Port Carbon, who's owned Brody's Bar & Grill, Port Carbon, since June 2008, according to Republican-Herald archives.
According to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator, Marks bought the property at 542 Port Carbon-Saint Clair Highway from Vincent A. and Karen A. Kuperavage for $200,000 in December 2005.
Marks could not be reached for comment Friday.
The one-story pole building with aluminum siding contained an office and two garage bays on its west side and three garage bays on its east side.
The fire started in the garage bay on the far west side, Burns said.
It was called into the Schuylkill County Communications Center at 12:17 a.m. Friday. Responders included firefighters from East Norwegian Township, Port Carbon, Pottsville and Saint Clair, according to a communications supervisor.
There were more than 75 firefighters on scene. No one was injured, Murray said.
When Murray arrived on scene at 1 a.m. Friday, flames were shooting out of the office on the building's west side.
"We had a hard time trying to get through the roof, being that it was an aluminum roof. And some of the roof had fallen down inside, which made it difficult to get in to fight the fire inside. We were able to cut holes in the wall and ceiling to get water in," Murray said.
A pickup truck parked in one of the two garage bays on the west side of the building sustained damage, Gorman said.
The scene was cleared at 4:48 a.m., according to the communications supervisor.
Ric's Service Station wouldn't be able to reopen for business anytime soon.
"This whole section in front, the main structure, would have to come down. He might have to put up another structure," Gorman said.
