Fire Damages Shop in Clermont

By Jeff Raasch, Reporter

Fire heavily damaged a shop in Clermont early Saturday. (Fayette County Sheriff's Office)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Sep 21, 2009 at 1:31 PM CST

Story Updated: Sep 21, 2009 at 4:30 PM CST

CLERMONT — In 31 years on the fire department, Randy Wiedenhoff had battled lots of fires, but none of his own. That changed early Saturday morning when Wiedenhoff’s shop went up in flames. Out Back Repair, 94 Thompson St., is considered a total loss.

Wiedenhoff discovered the fire around 2:38 a.m. Saturday. “I heard explosions and these loud noises in the morning,” Wiedenhoff said. “I looked out the window and she was ablazin’.”

Wiedenhoff knew immediately that it was his repair business, which sits just 300 feet from his house. He ran out the door and jumped in his pickup to go to the fire station. It wasn’t until he was getting his gear that he realized he hadn’t put on any shoes.

“I guess it was the adrenaline or something,” he said.

It took about two hours for firefighters to control the blaze and another three hours to fully extinguish it. The fire burned up two vehicles, a four-wheeler, engines, tools and other items. Wiedenhoff estimated the damage at between $150,000 and $175,000.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but it is not considered suspicious. Wiedenhoff said it appears to have started in the office, where there is a computer.

No one was injured.

“I’ve been to a lot of fires, but I’ve never been to one of my own,” Wiedenhoff said.

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