Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fire Erupts In Mower Repair Shop

A DOWNTOWN FIRE Tuesday, April 18, destroyed E&L Lawn Mower repair on East First Street. Donald Ingram made an attempt to extinguish the blaze, but it spread too fast, according to Fire Chief Ben Gummeson. Ingram told the chief a running lawn mower backfired, causing some open gasoline to ignite, according to Gummeson. Ingram saw it was a losing battle, he left the store. George Cornelius, owner of George's next door, said Ingram opened the door to his shop and told him to call the fire department and then he collapsed from lack of oxygen. Most of the contents of the building were destroyed. Pictured are the contents of George's Beauty Shop being carried into the street, in the background is the mower shop. Another fire consumed a mattress and caused some smoke damage at the Split Rail Monday morning, April 24. According to Gummeson, the blaze started when one of the tenants of the residential care facility set fire to his own mattress. The fire was quickly extinguished.v