Fire Destroys Route 82 Barn Filled With Vintage Cars

By Ellyn Santiago

Even with countless firefighters battling the blaze and tankers from five departments spraying some 40,000 gallons of water, a converted garage-to-barn at 554A-554B Rt. 82 could not be saved from a fire that started Thursday evening, Oakdale Fire Chief Gary Murphy said. 

Thankfully resulting in no serious injures save one minor firefighter injury, the 6 p.m. fire closed Rt. 82 for hours and gutted the 1940s-built four bay garage/barn which, Murphy said, housed  “some very expensive antique vehicles.”

The job of determining cause is in the hands of Fire Marshal Ray Occhialini. 

The fire was reported just after 6 p.m. Firefighters wrapped up the operation at about 11 p.m. and the road reopened about the same time. 

Murphy said the owner “heard a pop” and discovered the building ablaze.

Responding fire departments included Oakdale, Salem, Lyme, East Great Plains, Colchester, Bozrah and Preston.