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Fire at Uniontown liquor store knocks out power to several other businesses

The state fire marshal is determining the cause of a fire at a Uniontown liquor store.

A Pennsylvania state trooper spotted the fire in the back of the building around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday.

The Uniontown fire chief said the store sustained significant damage as the fire spread inside the walls, melting the siding and scorching the door.

“We had damage to the exterior walls, interior walls, on the back side of the building, substantial water damage and everything inside,”  Chief Buck Griffith said.

The fire is believed to have started at the back of the Fayette Street building and was contained to the store. When firefighters arrived, a stack of boxes was burning on a back porch.

The fire chief said crews will have to do some repairs and secure the back area before the liquor store can reopen. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board said the store will be closed until officials can evaluate the damage and make repairs. It was not immediately known when that would happen.

Electricity was turned off for the entire building, which was an inconvenience for seven businesses. Power was restored to six of the seven businesses before noon.

"It's kind of tough, especially being a law firm. Everything is computerized," Mark Mehalov said. "So it's kind of really shut us down for at least the morning."

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