Garage catches fire at Butler County auto racetrack

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — Firefighters were called early Tuesday to a racetrack in Butler County.

Emergency dispatchers told Channel 11 News that flames were reported about 4:15 a.m.at Lernerville Speedway in Buffalo Township.

Route 356 was closed in the area while crews fought the fire. The road reopened shortly before 7 a.m.

Lernerville Speedway is a four-tenths-mile dirt oval automobile race track.

"We heard some explosions initially when we pulled on scene," Buffalo Township fire Chief Matt Cypher said. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosions.

The fire was initially reported by a police officer who spotted it while on patrol.

Nobody was hurt in the blaze, which was under control fewer than three hours later.

"You can always replace things, not people," racetrack general manager Tim Tomson said. "If it would have hit some of those propane tanks or something, the gasoline in the truck or tractor that is in there, it could have been terrible."

The track opened in 1967 but was sold last year by World Racing Group to Tomson Scrap Metal. The racing season begins in the spring.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group