RENOVO - Faulty installation of a stove pipe is blamed for an early morning fire Monday in a garage at the rear of 218 10th St.
Renovo Fire Chief Jim Risley said the installation of the pipe to a wood burner was not up to code and the fire started where the flue pipe ran just underneath the eaves of the garage.
The garage on the property of Brian and Carrie Youells was destroyed, along with an ATV inside. A vehicle parked outside the garage was severely damaged, officials said.
Fire companies were dispatched around 1:45 a.m. On arrival they found a wall of 20-foot flames had already consumed the garage.
The firefighters were hampered in fighting the fire by burning power lines that emitted small explosions and made it unsafe for volunteers to get close, Risley said.
Numerous homes in the immediate area were without power, phone or television service for several hours after the fire. Some were also without heat.
Neighboring properties received moderate damage to fences and vehicles.
Firefighters were on scene for about three hours.
