Afternoon fire destroys garage on Cummings Rd. No one injured in two-alarm blaze

UPDATE: At 4:41 a.m. on Monday, firefighters from Chester, Proctorsville and Weathersfield were called back to the scene for the reported re-ignition of the remains of the building. 

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Seven area fire companies with 35 firefighters responded to Cummings Road in Chester Sunday afternoon to quell a fire that ended up destroying a large garage/office belonging to Jarrett Sanderson.

The Chester Fire Department got the call just before 3 p.m. and arrived with an engine and tanker to find the building fully involved. According to Chester Fire Chief Scott Richardson, the garage contained equipment including a pickup truck and tools. But a pair of 250 pound propane tanks complicated the job.

“We had to keep a stream of water on them (the tanks) to cool them down,” said Richardson, adding that the tanks were venting, which created 6- to 8-foot plumes of flames until all the gas was gone.  The need for water was acute and five companies sent tankers to ferry water to the fire. Spectators coming to the scene created some traffic problems, officials say, and at one point firefighters ran out of water.

“The hardest part was getting water up the road,” said Richardson.

Richardson told The Telegraph that in addition to Chester, Proctorsville, Springfield, Bellows Falls, Rockingham, Charlestown and Westminster departments fought the fire, and no one was injured. Chester returned to the firehouse around 5:30 p.m.

The cause of the fire is as yet unknown although Richardson said they speculate that there was a problem with the heating unit inside the garage. Fire investigators with the Department of Public Safety and Vermont State Police will be looking at the scene on Monday morning.