MADISON — Jody Johnson planned to officially open his auto repair business this week.

But his plans — and his business — went up in smoke early Friday morning.

Literally.

A fire destroyed the auto shop garage, which was located at 375 Madison Avenue and owned by Ventrue Mitchell.

The Madison and Danville volunteer fire departments responded to the blaze at 3:27 a.m.

Firefighters encountered thick black smoke and heavy fire in the back right corner of the garage at street level when they arrived, according to Chief James Lambert of the Madison Volunteer Fire Department.

Firefighters were able to gain access to the structure, which was located next to Bob & Bea’s bar, but were driven out by flames and portions of the roof falling into the garage area, he said.

Firefighters also were hampered by the lack of a hydrant in the immediate area of the building and had to lay out 1,000 feet of additional supply hose to use a hydrant at Jackson Avenue and Third Street because the hydrant near Don’s Auto was frozen, Lambert said.

“This place could have been saved if that hydrant hadn’t been frozen,” Johnson said Sunday as he stood among the remains, mostly gray and black heaps of burnt wood and warped metal.

Lambert said firefighters also had to deal with temperatures that dropped to 8 degrees Fahrenheit during the fire, causing equipment to freeze to the ground or clog with ice.

Madison Avenue in the area of the fire was shut down for about three hours during the blaze, Lambert said. Traffic was rerouted by the Madison Police Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Department.

No injuries were reported, Lambert said.

“We left at 5 that evening,” Johnson said. “So, we had been gone for about 10 hours before the fire started.”

The two basement storage levels sustained smoke and water damage, Lambert said. The garage area was heavily damaged, he said.

Although three vehicles were destroyed, firefighters were able to remove a street bike that was parked just inside one of the garage bays, Lambert said.

Firefighters remained on the scene until 7 a.m.

The fire doesn’t appear to be suspicious, Lambert said. Its cause was undetermined at press time Tuesday. However, the West Virginia State Fire Marshals Office is investigating, he said.

Johnson said the garage was built in 1952. It had a concrete floor with cinderblock walls and a wooden roof.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where the fire started,” Johnson joked. “The firefighters told us it was probably an electrical fire.”

Johnson was in good spirits Sunday.

“If this were my only source of income, I don’t know what I would do,” said Johnson, a 33-year-old Drawdy resident who owns and operates Johnson’s Used Cars in Madison. “Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that.”

According to his estimates, Johnson lost more than $25,000 in vehicles, parts and equipment.

“It stinks, but what can you do?” said Johnson, who started planning his business in November and started renting the building in December. “I just feel bad for the man who owned the building. He lost a valuable piece of personal property.”

The fire destroyed a 1994 Ford Ranger, 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier and 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier that were inside the garage.

“If it would have happened just one day later, I would have had those two out of there,” Johnson said, pointing to the 1994 Ford Ranger and 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier. “I would have had them finished and moved because there were only a couple of minor things that needed to be done to both of them.”

Johnson said he still plans to open an auto repair business, albeit at a different location.

“The only thing you can do when something like this happens is come back bigger, better and stronger,” he said. “It will take a lot more than this to stop me. I will have to be inside of it next time. I will have to be in the ground before I quit.”

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A fire sparked by a couple's early morning snack damaged a Boone County home Sunday, Lambert said.

A man and a woman were cooking onion rings on a stove about 3:30 a.m. at 70 Cedar Lane in Madison when a grease fire stared, igniting the kitchen cabinets, Lambert said.

The fire spread from the kitchen to a small room near the kitchen, then onto the roof and attic space, he said. The rest of the home had water and smoke damage.

The couple and an 8-year-old girl escaped from the house, Lambert said. The blaze woke up a neighbor, who then called 911.

Madison and Danville volunteer firefighters responded, Lambert said.

No one was hurt in the fire, which did not appear to be suspicious, he said.

Contact Jacob Messer at HYPERLINK "mailto:jacobmesser@coalvalleynews.com" jacobmesser@coalvalleynews.com and 369-1165 or 785-8951.