Winds aided growth of fire at Riverside car wash Friday evening

Fire crews responded Friday evening to a fire in the Flying Ace Express Car Wash on Airway Road in Riverside.

The fire was reported at 5:26 p.m., according to dispatchers.

“The business is a total loss. We are estimating approximately $500,000,” Riverside Fire Chief Daniel Stitzel said in a release. “The vehicle is also a total loss. Approximately $8,000 for the vehicle.”

The business will be closed for quite some time, Stitzel said. He also said at minimum, it would need to be “completely gutted and rebuilt — possibly torn completely down and rebuilt.”

Property insurance adjusters would have to determine the extent, according to the release.

The fire was accidental and arose from an engine compartment of the car.

“The wind was a factor in the growth of the fire as the building formed a wind tunnel-type environment that caused the fire to spread rapidly,” Stitzel said. “The wind also made it more difficult to extinguish the fire, but was brought under control within 30 minutes.”

Dayton fire crews also responded to the scene, the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center confirmed.

Mutual aid assistance also came from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Kettering fire departments.

We are working to learn more and will update this story with any new information.

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