Gym blaze ruled to be accidental
Fire at Altoona home also investigatedBy Walt Frank, wfrank@altoonamirror.com
Investigations are continuing into a pair of weekend fires in Altoona.
A Saturday night fire caused extensive damage to the Building II Athletic Club at 1000 Howard Ave.
"We are estimating the loss at between $400,000 and $500,000," said Carl Bennett, who owns the building with his wife, Ann.
Bennett said he was told by fire investigators Sunday that the 11:10 p.m. fire, which gutted the first floor of the former Howard Avenue Armory building, was accidental in nature.
"I lost everything in the cardio room: treadmills, elliptical machines and StairMasters. The weight room and gym are intact, but had some smoke damage," Bennett said.
"The downstairs room is totally gone. Things melted because of the intense heat. This is an old armory. The walls are made of cement, and that saved me."
Bennett said he will reopen the facility, which is used for basketball leagues, health and fitness, karate and aerobics, as soon as possible.
"I will reopen as soon as we get clearance from the insurance company. I hope to be open within a week or so," Bennett said. "I will be back."
Meanwhile, city fire marshal Randy Isenberg and city police are investigating a Sunday morning fire at 604 N. Third St., said Mike Nicodemus, assistant fire chief.
Police and firefighters responded to the fully involved structure fire at 4:30 a.m.
Once firefighters extinguished the blaze, it was determined that unknown people previously had entered through the rear door and burglarized the home, police said.
The residents were out of town for the weekend.
The amount of loss is unknown, police said.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.
|
ferndawg44
|
|
|---|---|
|
07-21-08 5:04 PM
|
Once the clean up is over perhaps we can DUNK now!
|