A fire along Chestnut Hill Road, at the top of South Mountain in Salisbury Township June 27, destroyed a garage and an all-original 1967 Chevrolet Camaro automobile.

The fire was called in to the Lehigh County 911 Center in downtown Allentown 7 p.m. Call center workers said they could see a black plume of smoke rising from the top of the mountain from their vantage point.

Western Salisbury Fire Chief Joshua Wells, on his way to the fire scene, also saw the smoke and immediately called for a second alarm and, knowing there was no fire hydrant service along Chestnut Hill Road, requested the 911 Center to dispatch an additional five tanker trucks to the scene. Wells arrived first and assumed command of the operation.

On the first fire engine at the scene was a crew from Emmaus Fire Department answering the mutual aid call. Eastern Salisbury Fire Chief Ian Dodson arrived momentarily, along with a crew on the first engine from Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company and they joined in fire suppression efforts.

With a huge head-start, the garage was fully involved in fire, as well as the classic car in a lean-to structure next to the garage. Wells positioned firefighters to make sure the fire did not spread to the resident’s nearby home. Heat from the fire melted siding on the house and firefighters checked inside to assure there was no fire extension into the dwelling.

The Emmaus crew, along with Dodson and the Western Salisbury crews were able to make a timely stop to the fire as additional crews began arriving from other Lehigh County fire stations.

Additional crews at the scene came from Eastern Salisbury, Vera Cruz, Lower Milford, Cetronia, Lower Macungie and Upper Saucon fire stations. A Rapid Intervention Team from Alburtis was on scene for possible firefighter rescue and a team from Woodlawn Fire Company was there with its cascade truck to refill firefighter’s air tanks.

An Emmaus ambulance was at the scene on standby, and two incident assistance units from Macungie Ambulance Squad provided cold beverages and rehab service for the firefighters working in heavy gear on a very hot and humid evening.

Eastern Salisbury fire police closed the road at the base of South Mountain on both the Emmaus and Upper Saucon side of the mountain.

Lehigh County property records indicate the property is owned by Chad and Brianna Clauser.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Salisbury fire marshal’s office.