Fire damages Speers gas station convenience store

A fire inside a Speers gas station caused minor damage to the building early Friday morning, but the heavy smoke it generated may have destroyed much of the convenience store’s inventory.

Crews were called to the Exxon gas station at 1001 Maple Drive about 4 a.m. and found heavy smoke rolling out of the building as they tried to locate the fire, Charleroi fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr. said.

Firefighters eventually discovered it was coming from a malfunctioning exhaust fan above one of the restrooms, but they struggled to attack the blaze since there were several false ceilings built below the store’s roof, Whiten said.

“You could tell it was high heat. Both bathrooms were black, sooty,” Whiten said. “There was a good fire in there.”

Whiten estimated the fire caused about $15,000 worth of damage to the building, but the amount of smoke likely destroyed most of the food and other inventory inside the convenience store.

The Interstate 70 eastbound off-ramp at the Speers exit was closed so firefighters could run hoses across a portion of the road, which is located next to the gas station.

Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 45 minutes, but remained on scene until about 6 a.m.

Charleroi firefighters were assisted by departments from Fallowfield, Lock 4, Stockdale, Monessen, Carroll Township and North Belle Vernon, along with Mon Valley EMS and state police troopers and Charleroi Regional police.