Saltillo mayor's business burns

March 10– An early morning fire on Main Street in Saltillo heavily damaged a business owned by the city’s mayor, Larry Lowery.

Lowery, who said only a portion of the building was insured, was attending West Star leadership training in Nashville at the time and returned to Saltillo after learning of the fire.

"It’s a loss to me for sure," he said. "I'm going to have to start all over again, but I'm not dead."

Saltillo firefighters joined county firefighters at the scene minutes after being dispatched at 1:18 a.m.

Upon arrival at Lowery Electrical and Plumbing, flames were "coming through the roof," said Saltillo Fire Chief Robert Kimbel.

He said it appears the fire started on an interior block wall in the office, climbed into the attic and then spread to the front portion of the adjoining warehouse.

"We kind of feel it was wiring inside the wall in the office" that started the fire, he said.

The section of roof over the office collapsed and that part of the building is a total loss, according to the city chief.

"It may not be rebuildable, but we kept it to half of the building," said Hardin County Fire Chief Melvin Martin.

He said county volunteer firefighters from Saltillo (Dist. 1), Crump-Morris Chapel (Dist. 2) and Hookers Bend (Dist. 15), responded, along with the full-time unit, Station 12 in Savannah.

It took about 30 to 45 minutes for the combined firefighting forces to bring the blaze under control, Martin said.

The mayor said he appreciates the support he is receiving from Saltillo residents.

"Since I've been back, I've had about 20 people come up to me and say, 'You know you have friends here, and whatever we can do to help rebuild, we'd be glad to,'" said Lowery. "And of course, that's emotional."