Corbin tire shop burns for second time in the last two years

Corbin Firefighters are working to rule out arson as the cause of a fire that gutted Southside Tire Monday morning.

According to Chief Barry McDonald, firefighters were called to the scene at 1103 South Main Street at 4:32 a.m.

"The fire started in a stack of tires on the side of the building and got up into the roof," McDonald said as he watched his firefighters continue to extinguish hot spots in what remained of the brick structure.

McDonald said a cigarette butt or something similar accidentally thrown into a stack of tires is not enough to ignite it, noting that tires need an accelerant such as gasoline or other flammable substance to burn. It is the second time in a two-year period that the building has burned. Firefighter fought back a similar blaze there on Sept. 8, 2009. Investigators always suspected arson in that blaze, but no one was ever arrested in connection with it.

No one was inside the building at the time of the fire Monday. However, firefighters had to bring in a backhoe to move debris inside as they continued efforts to ensure the fire was extinguished.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Corbin Police Det. Bill Rose, 528-1122.